Proposed Updates to MLA Bylaws

The MLA Board has reviewed and voted on extensive amendments to the MLA bylaws and is sending them to the membership to approve them in totality. Eligible members will vote online to adopt or reject the proposed changes in full. The summary document below has included all of the amendments – text to be deleted is shown with a cross out, and new text to be inserted or substituted is bolded. If approved by the membership, the bylaws will go into effect on July 1, 2023.

Movement on the MLA Board

On Friday, June 8, the current MLA Board met for the June meeting and were joined by our newly elected Board members Michele Howard, Traverse Area District Library, Mary Higginbottom Johnson, Muskegon Area District Library, and Shaunna Martz, Kent District Library, for training and orientation. We had the honor of hosting Thomas Fladung from Hennes Communications for this year's training session. Thomas shared tips and techniques on the best use of social media, speaking with the press and crisis communication planning in the wake of censorship and book-banning efforts.

MLA 2023 Youth Literary Awards

On Friday, June 16 we announced the winners and honor books of the 2023 MLA Youth Literary Awards! MLA's Mitten, YouPer (Young Person) and Thumbs Up! Award workgroups have worked for thousands of hours throughout the year, reading reviewing, discussing and evaluating hundreds of books to find the very best books for Michigan youth that were published in 2022.

Note From Debbie

Each June, Pride Month is a time for the LGBTQ+ community to honor their identity, uniqueness, and diversity. For countless years, libraries throughout the state and nation have brought focus to this national celebration. This year is no exception. 

But this year, public library displays celebrating Pride Month seem to be getting a lot of negative attention. Displays are part of a library’s marketing plan and they highlight a very small portion of the extensive collection that might go undiscovered. A display is a wonderful way to help readers young and old find and connect to topics, books, and materials they find personally relevant to themselves or loved ones. And displays during Pride Month are not set up to politicize one lifestyle over another - the library is simply displaying age-appropriate materials that are related to the LGBTQ+ experience. 

Of utmost importance to any public library is curating collections that allow every citizen to see themselves and the world around them in the diversity of books and resources their library provides for all ages, all abilities, all interests, all races, all nationalities, all religions, the rich, the poor, the traditional and nontraditional families, those who identify as LGBTQ+ and those that don’t. This is a core tenant of librarianship – to provide for the interests of all, and to do so without bias. For countless individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and who face bullying, isolation, and depression, access to LGBTQ+ representation and information in books from the library offers them a safe haven and in some cases is lifesaving. It is critically important that everyone has access to books where they can see themselves, validate their existence and experiences and reinforce their self-worth. Many of us cannot begin to imagine how important that might be for a teen who identifies as LGBTQ+ but has yet to find the voice they need to tell their story.

Welcome to MLA's New Social Media Strategist Intern

Earlier this month, the MLA staff welcomed Thejas Varma to the MLA team as our Summer Semester 2023 Social Media Strategist Intern.

MLA Recognized with Two Awards!

We are proud to share that MLA has won the Michigan Humanities Outstanding Humanities Organization Award!

The Michigan Humanities Outstanding Humanities Organization recognizes organizations, corporate funders, foundations, and organizational partners that have made a lasting contribution over time (five years or more) to the cultural life of their communities or our state through their active support of and involvement in promoting public humanities.