MLA Strategic Planning Starts Soon

This fall, MLA will begin developing a new strategic direction and 3-year plan for our work to educate, advocate, and engage libraries and library workers throughout Michigan. Since 2019, MLA has been working with a healthy and robust rolling plan that is updated annually and has served us well over the past 6 years.  It is now time to gather more input, check in with our members, and re-engage our key stakeholders. As our newly contracted planning consultants state in their proposal, “After the uncertainty of the last several years and recent threats to libraries across the country, it’s a good time to celebrate success, assess what’s working, deepen members connections, and set a course for the next three plus years.” We are excited to get started. 

In a unanimous vote of the MLA board on September 13, 2024, we have contracted with and engaged Alliance for Library Impact, led by co-founders, Amanda Standerfer and Cindy Fesemyer.  This division of their company, Fast Forward Libraries, was founded in 2022 and specializes in serving the unique needs of library-support organizations to help build their capacity and the capacity of the libraries they serve. Their three-pronged approach – Learn, Dream, and Do will guide us for the next six months as we begin the process of asking questions, gaining insight and engaging our members, volunteers, board, and staff in how MLA should position ourselves as the future unfolds.

Everything will begin in October when Amanda and Cindy start to interact with MLA members at MLA’s Annual Conference “Press Play” in Traverse City. Stay tuned for more details.