Michigan Library Association

Written by Kristin Shelley, 2018-2019 MLA President

President's Update - February 14, 2019

MLA 2018-19 President Kristin Shelley

Happy Library Lovers Month! I hope you are all feeling the love and warming up!

The end of January brought the ALA Midwinter Conference and the Polar Vortex. I was able to attend the Councilor’s Forum at Midwinter with Jennifer Dean, Michigan’s ALA Councilor. Jennifer and I were excited to meet other association presidents and councilors from around the country.

Written by Gail Madziar, MLA Executive Director

Executive Director's Desk - February 14, 2019

“Change is inevitable. Your growth is optional.” John C Maxwell, leadership author.

When it comes to conferences I am a firm believer that sometimes you learn as much during a conversation in the hallway as you do sitting in a session or listening to a speaker.

MLA 2018 Literary Award Winners

The Michigan Library Association is pleased to announce the 2018 literary award winners of the Mitten, YouPer and Thumbs Up! awards. The award selection work groups are comprised of Michigan librarians who consider hundreds of children's books annually to determine the winners.

Written by Lance Werner, Executive Director, Kent District Library and ALA President Candidate

Creating Better Libraries and Stronger Communities through Kindness, Empathy and Love

The world is in desperate need of more kindness, empathy and love. Incorporating kindness, empathy and love into your daily life inspires others and creates stronger friendships, communities and familial relationships. Now for some editorializing: I feel strongly that the world is in the state it’s in because there’s an utter lack of kindness, empathy and love. All you have to do to know that I’m speaking the truth is watch the news. It breaks my heart. I ask myself, “why do we accept this?” and “what am I going to do?” What are you going to do to change that? Start with this — be kind. Be empathetic. Be loving. If each person makes that commitment, we can start a revolution. We can make kindness the new norm. We’ve accepted a level of behavior that’s low and we need to raise the bar. We need to get back to caring about each other. We need to realize that everybody matters.

MLA 2019 Call for Proposals Now Open

The MLA 2019 Annual Conference work group seeks a variety of program and poster proposals on topics addressing the wide range of professional responsibilities found in libraries. Library professionals interested in sharing their insights, experiences, and knowledge are invited to submit a proposal for consideration. Librarians, staff and administrators from all types of libraries are encouraged to participate.

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