Volunteer to Help the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission

April 29, 2021

MLA is working in partnership with the communications team from the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) to engage libraries in the redistricting plan for the State of Michigan. Libraries have been identified as a key partner and as such, MLA wants to make sure that our library community is integral in getting Michigan citizens involved in the redistricting process.

In 2018, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, a ballot initiative for voters, and not legislators, to take responsibility for nonpartisan redistricting, which created the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC). The commission is comprised of 13 randomly selected Michigan residents that include four Democrats, five Independents, and four Republicans. The MICRC is responsible for redistricting the U.S. Congressional, Michigan House, and Michigan Senate districts.

Letter from Debbie: Dare Mighty Things

April 29, 2021

Mars has been a favorite object of skywatchers for centuries and of space explorers for decades. I watched in amazement a few months ago when Perseverance landed on the surface of Mars (~150 million miles away) having lifted off from earth in July 2020. I was also watching a few days ago when NASA’s first solar-powered helicopter, Ingenuity, took flight on Mars (the first-ever flight on another planet – as exciting as the Wright Brothers' first flight on earth). I found all of this inspiring and incredible in what can be achieved when individuals with a dream work together, collaborate, bring their individual talents to the table to achieve something greater than the sum of its parts.

Joint Statement in Support of Jurnee Hoffmeyer

April 21, 2021

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) and the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) are committed to doing everything we can, in our libraries, schools, and communities to promote justice and equality for all. It has come to our attention that a white media assistant that works in the library at Ganiard Elementary School in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, cut the hair of a biracial child without parental permission.

MLA and MAME are using our voices as representatives of all Michigan libraries and library workers, including school libraries, to stand in support of 7-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyer.

MLA Supports the CROWN Act

April 21, 2021

House Bill 4275 – Michigan CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair) – as sponsored by Representative Sarah Anthony (D - Lansing), would prevent discrimination by expanding state law to recognize a person’s hair as a characteristic of race.

LinkedIn Learning Discounts for MLA Members

March 25, 2021

We are excited to partner with LinkedIn to offer LinkedIn Learning to Michigan libraries at a discounted rate. Libraries that join our consortium will receive a minimum discount of 7% but the more libraries that join, the greater the discount will be!

Call to Action: MLA Opposes HB 4530-4533

Call to Action: MLA stands in Opposition to HB 4530-4533 and ANY Legislation Limiting Election Dates.

March 25, 2021

On Tuesday, March 23, a package of bills, HB4530-4533 was presented at the House Elections and Ethics Committee. HB4530-4533 eliminates the May and August elections and replaces them with a June election.

House Bills 4530-4533 would amend different acts to remove the May regular election date and move the date of the primary election in Michigan from August to June, limiting a jurisdiction to holding only two elections in a year.