Call for Nominations for MLA Board

The Call for Nominations for candidates for the 2025 Board of Directors is now open! The Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (NLDC) is seeking nominations/self-nominations for four member-at-large directors as well as the President-elect position, with terms beginning in July 2026 and ending in June 2029.

Contact Your MI State Representative and Senator TODAY

As budget negotiations in Lansing continue, library advocates must continue outreach to their legislators. We must ensure that lawmakers understand the importance of library funding—and that a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) line item must be included in the final version of the budget for federal dollars awarded to support Michigan libraries.

Federal Advocacy: Tell Congress to Fund Libraries in FY2026

The Congressional committees in the House and Senate that decide the federal budget have included funding for library services in the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program in the Department of Education, in their latest bill drafts.

Call Your Legislators and Urge Them to Support Library Funding in the Michigan FY2026 Budget!

Last week, the Michigan House of Representatives approved an omnibus budget bill, HB 4706, for fiscal year 2026. Now with less than a month before a signed state budget is due, the budget process is entering its final, most critical phase: reconciling major differences in Michigan's budget across Chambers and the Governor’s office. 

Chapter & Verse: Storytime from the Stacks New Episode

Check out the latest episode of Chapter & Verse: Community First - Strengthening Services in a Resource-Limited Library.

In this episode, hosts Dillon Geshel and Kate Pohjola Andrade welcome Mary Gallup, Director of the Clinton Township Public Library, who shares her inspiring path from stay-at-home mom to library leader. Mary reflects on the community connections that sparked her career, the creative programs and advocacy efforts that have shaped her tenure, and the realities of serving a small library with limited resources. The conversation dives into navigating political and township dynamics, championing intellectual freedom, and embracing the evolving role of libraries as vital community hubs.

MLA Celebrates 134 Year Anniversary

As Michigan’s oldest and largest library association, MLA has been championing Michigan libraries for 134 years. Our story began in 1891, when Mary A. Eddy (a librarian at Coldwater Free Public Library) wrote to Detroit’s Henry M. Utley about forming a statewide library association. The first MLA meeting took place on September 1, 1891, in Detroit with just 37 members – enough librarians to elect five officers and even print their 40-line constitution on a tiny 3-inch by 6-inch card! From those humble beginnings, MLA has grown into a community of thousands of librarians, volunteers, and library supporters across the state.