MLA 2020 Virtual Conference and Fall Institute for Youth Services Preconference Registration Now Open!

We're "Charting a New Course, Together" and going virtual! Join the adventure! Register today for the new MLA 2020 Virtual Conference, October 28 and 29, 2020.

Spring Institute for Youth Services, originally scheduled for March 19-20, is now the Fall Institute for Youth Services Virtual Preconference and will be held on October 27, 2020.

The Michigan Library Association 2020 conference theme is "Charting a New Course, Together" and this October 28 and 29, we are doing just that at our first ever all virtual conference! You're invited to join the adventure and help us chart a new course!

Check out the schedule at a glance, our featured speaker lineup, special programming and events and more and register today at milibraries.org/annual-conference. Watch for more information coming soon, including detailed session descriptions and even more fun ways to engage and interact as we chart this new course, together.

Library Stabilization Fund Act Outreach Continues

August 11, 2020

MLA continued outreach to our federal legislators with a letter urging them to cosponsor the Library Stabilization Fund Act (S. 4181 / H.R. 7486).

This legislation, supported by ALA and introduced by U.S. Rep Andy Levin (D-MI-9) would provide $2 billion for libraries administered through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The legislation would keep nearly 370,000 library workers on the job, defray costs related to safe reopening, and support a range of library services to millions of patrons, including:

Updates on Executive Orders Affecting Libraries

July 30, 2020

On Wednesday, July 29, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-160 and Executive Order 2020-161, amending Michigan’s Safe Start Order and issuing revised workplace safeguards.

The Governor stated that with rising cases throughout Michigan, these updates were necessary to protect lives and slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Under the Safe Start Order, starting July 31, 2020, statewide indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, outdoor gatherings are not to exceed 100 people, and bars will be closed for indoor service across the state, including in Regions 6 and 8. Regions 6 and 8 also have different limits on gatherings.

Access to Scholarships and Other MLA Restricted Funds

July 23, 2020

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is committed to promoting and advancing the library profession. To demonstrate this commitment, MLA provides close to $10,000 annually for librarians and support staff at any Michigan library to attend MLA events. There are two specific funds that provide scholarships – the MLA Education Fund and the MLA/MALC Academic Library Fund. Look through the funds below and see if there are any that would provide a new opportunity for you.

Executive Orders: What Number Are We up To?

July 23, 2020

Wondering if anyone else out there in library land is finding it hard to remember what Executive Orders we are now paying attention to? We started this conversation back on March 16th with EO 2020-09 and from then until now, there have been over 150 and we are still climbing the ladder. Since that time, MLA has continued to stay on top of the Executive Orders that affect our work, and while it is good to note that many Executive Orders have been rescinded over the past 4 months, we continue to confuse ourselves every day by what number is or isn’t still in effect. 

MLA Recommends 96 Hour Quarantine

July 23, 2020

The quarantining of library materials in response to COVID-19 has been of utmost importance to the field and we here in Michigan, along with the rest of the country, have been awaiting federal guidance.  

Since early May, the REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) project has been studying how long COVID-19 survives on common materials that are loaned by libraries. The study is being conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and OCLC in partnership with Battelle, who are creating and distributing science-based information designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and visitors who are engaging in the delivery or use of museum, library, and archival services.