MLA Celebrates 133 Year Anniversary

On September 1, MLA will celebrate 133 years of serving the Michigan library community!

Let’s Go! October is Michigan Library Appreciation Month

Get ready to celebrate Michigan Library Appreciation Month! This October, we are excited to honor Michigan libraries and library staff, emphasizing the theme of “Let’s Go!” Libraries inspire us to go explore, go learn, and go connect with our communities.

Note from Wesleyann, MLA 2024 Annual Conference Chair

Greetings! I’m Wesleyann Johnson, Director of the Center Line Public Library and the 2024 Conference Chair of MLA’s Annual Conference. It’s been an immense privilege to helm a workgroup of our amazing colleagues from across the state of Michigan in planning “Press Play”, to be held this October 16-18 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme. There is also a Small & Strategic Libraries Pre‑Conference on October 15, at the same location.  

Our vision for the 2024 Annual Conference came to life after hearing of its location, greater Traverse City, which, for many of us, isn’t just a location but a “destination”.  MLA events are meetings of minds, first and foremost, but we wanted the 2024 Annual Conference to offer an escape as well. This is reflected in the roster of events: from the Tuesday evening pre‑conference events (a wine/brewery tour, the tour of the State Hospital and a murder mystery party), the opening keynote speech from award‑winning magician Ben Whiting, the “See You in the Funny Pages” library comic contest with the acclaimed artist Gene Ambaum, the reception at the Traverse Area District Library, our fun “jam sessions” for bouncing ideas and so much more! When we play, we learn. Our objective is to have attendees “press play” and enjoy themselves, while developing professionally.

ALA Advocacy Alert: #FundLibraries in FY25

The U.S. House of Representatives has proposed a 15% cut to federal library funding. Contact your federal legislators using the ALA action center and tell them we need their help to preserve and expand this critical funding and the services it supports.

Note From Keeley

July 25, 2024

At a recent MLA event, a Mentorship Program participant sought me out to thank me for introducing them to their mentor. Hearing their feedback made me so glad to be a part of this organization and inspired me to start thinking about why mentorship matters.

Being a mentee is an opportunity to grow and learn from someone more experienced in your field, but it’s so much more than that. A mentor helps you clarify and be accountable for your goals; more informally, a mentor is a trusted listener who is there to encourage you when your work gets difficult (and, as we all know, the work has been especially difficult the last few years). Mentors bring with them years of connections, expanding your professional network, as well as the kind of institutional knowledge that you often don’t pick up in school. A mentor offers insight into potential career paths, projects, and educational options. The mentor-mentee relationship is flexible, personal, and confidential in a way that a classroom generally isn’t.

MLA 2024 Annual Conference PRESS PLAY

Registration for MLA 2024 Annual Conference and Small and Strategic Pre-conference is OPEN! This October 15 -18, PRESS PLAY and join the Michigan library community at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City.