MLA Wins PACE Award for MI Right to Read Campaign

In 2023, MLA worked with PR firm Martin Waymire on a six-month campaign promoting the MI Right to Read coalition. This May, Martin Waymire and MLA were honored by the Central Michigan chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for the MI Right to Read campaign.

MLA 2024 Youth Literary Awards

MLA's Youth Literary Awards recognize outstanding contributions to youth literature and celebrate the best titles for children and teens. For the past year, MLA Youth Literary Award workgroups have spent thousands of hours reading, reviewing, and discussing hundreds of books to choose the very best titles published in 2023 for Michigan kids. It's our pleasure to share the winners of the 2024 Mitten, YouPer, and Thumbs Up! Awards.

Note From Rachel

June 27, 2024

Last month, Debbie asked me to write a note about membership for this month's newsletter, and I thought, "Sure, why not?" MLA's fiscal year is ending soon so we've been managing organizational renewals and I’ve had membership on my mind. I’ve been at MLA since 2015 and working in a membership role for almost nine years, I’ve had some time to think about why we do what we do, why dedicated individuals get involved and invest their time, energy, and money, and why libraries continue to renew their memberships and support staff memberships and involvement. 

I know membership is beneficial to individual members, libraries, and our communities – I’ve seen it first-hand: Individuals get involved and then advance in their careers, they bring fresh ideas to their libraries, they move into new leadership roles. Our advocacy efforts at the capitol put money back into libraries’ budgets, and our collective advocacy protects our communities' access to information and the right to read. And, while some of the benefits members receive are tangible, like increases to State aid (Michigan lawmakers just passed the FY25 budget– $1M!) and discounts on events like our upcoming annual conference (registration is open!) most of the benefits aren’t so easily defined. 

So what ARE the benefits of membership? Why should you pay money to be involved in an association? Why should libraries be organizational members AND support staff memberships? 

As one is wont to do in this day and age, I asked ChatGPT: What are the benefits of membership in an association? The response: 

2025 Budget Update

Never wanting to keep MLA members in the dark, we are finally able to share the state of Michigan budget with you (links below for the House Fiscal Agency Conference Reports for the General Omnibus Budget and the School Aid Fund). With little to no advance public review of the budget, in the early morning hours today, the FY25 State of Michigan budget (beginning October 1) has finally passed through the conference committee, the Senate and the House. The budget now awaits the Governor’s signature before the July 1^st deadline. (Just as a reminder, she also has line item veto power, so nothing is in stone until she signs.)

While we haven’t had time to digest the entire budget, we have highlighted some of the items that we have been watching including (DRUMROLL PLEASE) a $1,000,000 increase to State Aid bringing it to $16,567,700.  

And while we didn’t get everything we asked for in the budget…your voices were heard and communications with your state legislators made a difference!  Advocacy is a full year commitment – it never ends, so keep up the good work. We are #StrongerTogether. MLA will share more details soon on other MLA priorities.

Thank you MLA Members!

Future Pathways Grant Accepting Applications

Join us on Wednesday, May 26 at 11:00 AM to learn more about the Future Pathways Grant Program. Get your questions answered, learn about upcoming opportunities that the grant could fund, and brainstorm project ideas. We’ll discuss the grant application requirements, demo how to submit an application packet, and answer all of your questions! Register here

Call for Proposals: MLA 2024 Annual Conference ▶️ PRESS PLAY and Small and Strategic Preconference

PRESS PLAY and submit a proposal for MLA 2024 Annual Conference this October 16 -18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan. The Call for Proposals is also open for the Small and Strategic preconference for Michigan’s small and rural libraries on October 15! View complete details about session proposal requirements for the conference or preconference at milibraries.org/call-for-proposals. Proposals are due Friday, June 7.