Michigan Library Association

Call for Nominations for 2021 Board Elections

September 24, 2020

A selection of different colored cartoon chairs with the text "We've got some seats to fill"

MLA has seats to fill and the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (NLDC), chaired by Past President Kristin Shelley, is looking for interested candidates to fill three at-large seats plus a President-Elect position on the MLA Board of Directors, with terms beginning in July 2021 and ending in June 2024.

Each year in September, the call for nominations for the MLA Board opens. This year we invite each and every one of you that are members of MLA to apply – individuals representing any type of library, any staff position within the library (not just directors), any size and budget, and in any geographic region of Michigan.

Letter from Debbie

September 24, 2020

cartoon stick figure spinning plates Like many of you, my internal calendar resets and my new year begins when September rolls around. Perhaps it is because the summer is winding down and school begins in earnest. Perhaps it is because of the change in the weather. September has always given me the chance to reflect on accomplishments, to step up my game, and to set new parameters to achieve our goals for the upcoming year.

A few days ago, I was thinking of how much work we have accomplished, and how much we have added to our plates and taken on since the pandemic. I like to work “proactively”, but the pandemic has most of us working “reactively” and I hate to admit how much of our advocacy work is still not settled, still a bit chaotic – we still have many spinning plates in the air (and who, might I ask, lit them on fire?)

Letter from Debbie

August 27, 2020

Hard to believe, but here we are…almost 6 months into this global pandemic. There is so much to still take in on a daily basis but I think the waters have calmed enough for us to get another gulp of air. I am hopeful that a second wave is not in our immediate future.

MLA continues to monitor your progress and while some of your libraries have opened your physical doors to limited visitation by patrons, many of you are still in curbside and virtual mode…and that is okay…each community has different challenges and must act according to what is best for them. We commend you, wherever you are in the continuum of your services, on how well you have improvised, adapted and continue to overcome obstacles.

ALA 2020 Councilor Report Available Online

Jennifer L. Dean
ALA Councilor
Dean of University Libraries,
University of Detroit Mercy Libraries

We are very lucky to have such wonderful representation at the national level by our ALA Councilor, Jennifer Dean. For the past two years, she has represented MLA’s interests. Part of her responsibility is to connect Michigan to the national agenda and to represent us at the ALA Midwinter and Annual Conventions. Due to the unusual circumstances surrounding us with the global pandemic, Jennifer has been attending these events virtually and has done an outstanding job writing up her findings and reporting back out to the field. Here is her most recent report:

ALA 2020 - Midwinter Meeting and Virtual Conference MI Chapter Councilors Report (pdf)

Access to Scholarships and Other MLA Restricted Funds

July 23, 2020

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is committed to promoting and advancing the library profession. To demonstrate this commitment, MLA provides close to $10,000 annually for librarians and support staff at any Michigan library to attend MLA events. There are two specific funds that provide scholarships – the MLA Education Fund and the MLA/MALC Academic Library Fund. Look through the funds below and see if there are any that would provide a new opportunity for you.

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