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This spring, I’ve spent a lot of time on the road. One of my favorite parts about working at MLA is that no two weeks look the same, and that’s certainly been true for me in recent months. I’ve found myself visiting libraries, participating in film screenings and panel discussions, hosting events alongside the excellent MLA team, and giving presentations about MLA programs and resources. As I sat down to write this month’s note, I found myself reflecting on my work over the last few months, and the connections I’ve made with people across Michigan who care deeply about libraries and the role they play in civic life, education, access and community.
In March, I had the privilege to visit the Edwardsburg branch of the Cass District Library, a new, purpose-built library that leans into flexible programming areas, inviting interior design, and a dedicated children’s space that prioritizes learning, play, and engagement. It’s a beautiful new library across the street from a local school, and the building was bustling with students when I visited. The Cass District Library’s Edwardsburg branch demonstrates how modern libraries are centering themselves as community and learning hubs.
On the same trip, and for the first time in my role as MLA’s Executive Director, I was able to spend time with my peers at other state associations during the Michigan Society of Association Executives’ Public Policy Roundtable. Making connections with other association leaders was helpful as I settled into my role at MLA over the last year, and a handful of education sessions stood out as very informative for my work with libraries. First, a table talk around best practices in legislative days gave me a fresh perspective for future MLA Advocacy Days. Second, group discussions on training curricula offered by other non-profit membership associations planted seeds for me that I’m eager to explore in MLA’s next fiscal year. Read more
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You Said YES, Now Get Ready! Save the Date for the MLA Ambassador Orientation | |
MLA Ambassadors will receive notification of their workgroup and committee placement on June 1. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to be an ambassador of MLA and share their experience and expertise with the entire library community.
We will be holding a virtual orientation on Zoom on Wednesday, June 3, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM to go over the basics of your work with MLA. Mark your calendar and watch your email for details and the Zoom link – we hope to see you all there!
| | | | Save the Date and Submit a Nomination for the 2026 Michigan Library Awards | | |
Do you know someone who deserves recognition and celebration for their work in Michigan libraries? The Call for Nominations for the 2026 Michigan Library Awards is now open through Friday, July 10!
We encourage and welcome your nomination for any of MLA's Awards for recognition at the 2026 Michigan Library Awards on Wednesday, October 28, during the MLA 2026 Annual Conference at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace (formerly known as the Suburban Collection Showplace) in Novi.
Submitting a nomination is simple, self-nominations are strongly encouraged, and nominators may also choose to have submissions considered for the 2027 awards cycle.
The Michigan Library Awards recognize excellence, innovation, leadership, and service in libraries throughout the state. Save the date and plan to join us for one of the most anticipated events in Michigan’s library community, featuring dinner, entertainment, and awards presentations celebrating the accomplishments and dedication of Michigan library leaders and advocates. Registration will open this summer.
Learn more about the Michigan Library Awards, view guidelines, and submit a nomination at milibraries.org/michigan-library-awards.
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Check out MLA's Bill Tracker to view a full list of legislation that the Advocacy and Legislative Committee is watching. | | | | |
State Budget Negotiations Are Underway — Continue Speaking Up for Libraries! | |
After a busy month for Michigan’s legislature, momentum is building to finalize a budget for the state’s next fiscal year. With budget proposals now advanced by the House, Senate, and the Governor’s office, the next phase of negotiations is officially underway, and library advocates continue to play an important role in shaping the conversation around library funding.
On April 28, more than 130 library advocates came to Lansing for Michigan Library Advocacy Day to meet with legislators and discuss appropriation priorities for libraries in FY27. Across more than 100 meetings with elected leaders, advocates shared a clear message: Michigan libraries need increased investment to continue serving communities across the state. Advocates urged lawmakers to support a $500,000 increase in funding for State Aid to Libraries, and a $900,000 General Fund investment for the Michigan eLibrary (MeL).
The very next day, on April 29, the Senate passed Senate Bill 878, the omnibus appropriations bill for the FY27 state budget. The Senate proposal includes a one-time additional investment of $500,000 for State Aid to Libraries and $500,000 for the Michigan eLibrary (MeL). While this does not yet meet the full request, it represents meaningful progress and positions libraries well as negotiations continue between the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Earlier in April, the House passed its version of the FY27 budget (House Bill 5619), which includes flat funding for State Aid to Libraries and no additional support for MeL. Governor Whitmer’s executive budget proposal, released in February, also recommended flat funding for both.
Now, the focus turns to negotiations between the chambers. The Governor, alongside House and Senate leadership, will work to reconcile these proposals into a final budget agreement before the new fiscal year begins on October 1. MLA will continue working with partners and lawmakers throughout this process to advocate for the needs of libraries and the communities they serve. This is an important moment for continued advocacy.
If you attended Michigan Library Advocacy Day, now is also the perfect time to follow up with legislators and staff you met in Lansing. A simple thank-you message helps strengthen the relationships you began building and keeps libraries top of mind during budget negotiations.
Consider thanking Senators for their support of additional library funding in the Senate budget proposal and encouraging House members to work with the Senate to strengthen support for libraries in the final budget agreement. You can also invite legislators to visit your library, attend a program, or continue the conversation in your community.
Personal stories continue to make the greatest impact. Share how your library supports students, families, job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners in your community — and how State Aid and MeL funding directly support those services.
We’re grateful for the role Michigan’s library advocates have played in getting us to this point. The inclusion of additional funding for State Aid to Libraries and MeL in the Senate budget reflects the strength of your advocacy and the relationships you’ve built with elected leaders.
Thank you for continuing to speak up for Michigan libraries as the budget process moves forward.
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Michigan lawmakers are currently negotiating the final FY27 state budget, and decisions made in the coming weeks will directly impact library funding and services across the state. Now is the time for library supporters to contact legislators and advocate for strong, stable funding for Michigan libraries.
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Find your legislators: Look up your State Senator and Representative using the Michigan Legislature websites.
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Reach out: Send a brief email or call their office today.
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Share your story: Explain who you are, your connection to your library, and how library services impact your community.
- Keep your message clear and personal—real examples of how libraries support education, job seekers, families, and communities are powerful!
- Include our key requests:
- Increase State Aid to Libraries by $500,000 for FY27 to support local libraries and cooperatives.
- Sustain funding for the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) and MeLCat, by including the $900,000 General Fund investment in the FY27 budget.
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Oppose any diversion of penal fine revenue without a stable replacement for libraries.
Questions? Click the links above to review detailed fact sheets about our top legislative priorities or visit milibraries.org/advocacy-day-resources.
| | | | | | Federal Library Funding Update: Current Status and Next Steps | |
Last month, the White House’s FY2027 budget proposal again called for eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), requesting $6 million specifically to wind down and close the agency. While concerning, this follows a familiar pattern, as Congress has historically rejected prior attempts to reduce or dismantle IMLS and, in the FY2026 budget process, preserved and slightly increased federal library funding.
The American Library Association (ALA) has mobilized library advocates nationwide to contact lawmakers and urge them to sustain library funding and sign onto “Dear Appropriator” letters in both the House and Senate. Advocacy efforts now turn to the Appropriations Subcommittees, where funding decisions for libraries and related programs will be considered as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee markup is scheduled for June 5, while the Senate timeline has not yet been announced.
ALA encourages advocates to remain engaged and watch for advocacy updates as the appropriations process moves forward. MLA will continue to monitor federal budget developments and share updates, context, and opportunities for engagement as Congress works toward final funding decisions.
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MI Right to Read is an initiative led by the MLA, dedicated to safeguarding the right to read in Michigan. Visit MIRighttoRead.com today to join the coalition and take the pledge to protect every Michigander's right to read.
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MI Right to Read is funded in part by the Mellon Foundation.
| | Mark your calendars for the third Thursday of every month at 10:00 AM and join us on Zoom for our FREE MLA Connect Advocacy Hours! These timely, one-hour sessions connect you with experts and colleagues to explore the policy, legal, and leadership issues affecting libraries and the communities we serve. | | View MLA Connect Advocacy Hours on Demand: | | Proposed Changes to Trial Court Funding
Michigan’s Alternative Funding for Trial Courts Workgroup has proposed redirecting revenue from penal fines and civil infractions to trial courts. Watch this session with MLA Lobbyist Samantha Zandee to learn more. | | |
Leading Through Uncertain Times
Scott Duimstra, Director of Hennepin County (MN) Library (and a past MLA President), shares how his system is responding to immigration and DHS enforcement activity, and key lessons learned that may help guide MI libraries.
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Williamston Theatre Presents Bad Books
This Advocacy Hour welcomes the Williamston Theatre and features a live excerpt from Bad Books by Sharyn Rothstein, followed by a discussion on book challenges, censorship, and MLA’s MI Right to Read work.
| | Don't miss out on upcoming events! Visit the event calendar online at milibraries.org/upcoming-events to view our complete lineup of upcoming programs, conferences, MLA Connect webinars and advocacy hours, plus important deadlines for proposals and nominations, MLA Board elections, and more! | | | MLA's Intellectual Freedom Summit Registration Closes Soon! | |
June 10–11, 2026
AC Hotel Lansing University Area
Lansing, MI
Library leaders from across Michigan are invited to gather in Lansing this Spring for a two-day summit focused on intellectual freedom and shaping the future of policy, practice, and advocacy.
Designed for those who are deeply committed to the right to read, this summit will create space for meaningful dialogue and collective action around today’s most pressing intellectual freedom challenges.
Thanks to generous support from the Mellon Foundation, attendance, accommodations, and meals will be provided. Space is limited, and participation will be selective to ensure deep engagement and impactful outcomes.
| | MLA 2026 Annual Conference Beyond Buzzwords: Call for Sponsors and Exhibitors | | |
Go beyond buzzwords and be part of what endures. Sponsor and exhibitor registration is officially OPEN for the MLA 2026 Annual Conference, scheduled for October 28-30, at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi. This year’s theme, Beyond Buzzwords: An Enduring Public Good, is all about real impact, real partnerships, and real support for libraries and the communities they serve. Why get involved?
- Put your mission in motion: connect with library leaders and decision-makers from across Michigan
- Build relationships that last: not just conversations, but collaborations
- Stand with libraries: champions of access, learning, and democracy
- Show up where it matters: libraries need strong partners more than ever
Click below to explore sponsorship and vendor opportunities and register today.
| | Upcoming MLA Connect Webinars | | MLA offers virtual education sessions covering a variety of topics addressing advances in the library field, current and up-and-coming trends and pressing issues affecting libraries. MLA Connect webinars are only $25 for MLA members. Click below to learn more and register for upcoming programs! | | | Literacy Essentials & Libraries: Supporting Michigan Families Through Coherent Literacy Practices | |
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Thursday, June 4 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Libraries play a vital role in supporting literacy development across Michigan communities—and this upcoming session will highlight just how essential that work truly is.
Join Shellie Gohl, MAISA Early Literacy Professional Learning Coordinator, for Literacy Essentials & Libraries: Supporting Michigan Families Through Coherent Literacy Practices. This engaging session will connect the everyday work of libraries with Michigan’s statewide literacy priorities and explore how library staff already support proven literacy practices through the services and experiences they provide.
Participants will learn how library interactions—from storytimes and reader’s advisory to caregiver conversations and book displays—align with the Essential Instructional Practices, also known as the “Literacy Essentials,” a research-backed framework grounded in the Science of Reading and designed to support literacy development from birth through 12th grade.
This session will also provide:
- Practical ways to strengthen shared literacy language between schools and libraries
- Family-friendly literacy resources and tools for caregivers
- Ideas for integrating summer learning materials from the Michigan Learning Channel22
- Strategies to make existing literacy support more visible and impactful
Libraries make an abundance of reading materials and literacy experiences possible in ways clasrooms alone cannot. This session will affirm the important role libraries play as essential partners in literacy success for all children.
Join us for this valuable conversation and leave with practical ideas, resources, and renewed confidence in the impact your library already makes every day.
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Wednesday, June 17 | 2:00–3:00 PM
Communicating the value of your local library to those who have yet to realize that it's actually the most wonderful place on earth! View details and register.
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Check out the MLA Connect On Demand virtual education platform! MLA members have access to dozens of virtual programs and sessions on a wide variety of topics, all available to view on demand. To view available programs, visit MLA Connect On Demand, browse the archives, and log in with your MLA individual login credentials.
Now FREE On Demand
- What If Libraries Led the AI Movement? AI and Its Impacts on the Library Profession
- Librarian: Profession, Trade or Vocation?
- Blueprints & Budgets: Crafting the Perfect RFP for Your Library’s Needs
- Website Accessibility: Ensuring ADA Compliance for Your Library
- Compassion Over Conflict: Responding to Patron Concerns About Unhoused Library Users
Click here to check out these webinars and more! (MLA membership and login required to view.)
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Discord is a great place to ask questions in real time, share examples including images, gain inspiration, connect with peers, and discuss things going on at your library that perhaps are going on in other libraries!
Visit discord.gg/yM3A9qUsn4 and start chatting today!
| | | | MLA Member Benefit: Join the Sustainable Libraries Initiative! | |
Did you know your library is eligible for a free one-year membership to the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) thanks to our partnership? Through this affiliation, libraries new to the SLI can opt in at no cost and gain access to valuable resources, peer networks, and tools that support environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically feasible practices. Plus, members of our association also receive 20% off enrollment in the Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP).
Get started today: sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/SLI-Membership
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MLA Strategic Partner members help support our statewide partnerships and collaborations that unite all Michigan libraries, foster healthy communities, promote education and literacy, and advance arts and culture in Michigan. Strategic Partners include library vendors, service providers, community organizations, and philanthropic institutions. Learn more about our partners using our directory search.
Interested in joining MLA as a Strategic Partner? Learn more about the benefits of membership today!
| | | Do you have news you want to share? Contact Katie Steward at ksteward@milibraries.org to share news of promotions, new hires, appointments, awards, or a tribute in memoriam. | | | | | Van Buren District Library has announced the appointment of Sydney Bergquist as the new manager of its Bangor Branch. Sydney is from Canton, Michigan, and has her bachelor’s in literature from Valdosta State University. She will be attending library school in the fall, and shared that her favorite novel is Babel by R.F. Kuang. Congratulations, Sydney, on your new role! | | Kudos and Congratulations | | Congratulations to the Petoskey District Library and staff for receiving the Belonging Award at the first Belong: Northern Michigan Immigrant Inclusion Conference. The Belonging Award (Agency Category) recognizes organizations that champion inclusion, celebrate cultural diversity, and help ensure all Northern Michiganders can belong and thrive in their communities. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! | | Sandy Gnagey (pictured 2nd from left) is celebrating 18 years with Columbia Township Library. Since joining the library in 2008, Sandy has embraced many roles and worked through changing technologies, multiple directors, and evolving library services with dedication and care. A lifelong reader with a passion for Christian fiction, Sandy is known for the thoughtful recommendations and enthusiasm she brings to patrons every day. Congratulations, Sandy, on 18 wonderful years with the library! | | | | After 13 years of dedicated service, Grace A. Dow Memorial Library wishes Kristen Bergmoser the very best of luck in her retirement. Known for her thoughtful adult book clubs, creative passive programs, and “I Spy” displays, Kristen made a lasting impact on the library and its patrons. Wishing you a wonderful and vibrant retirement filled with new adventures! | | Advertise on MLA’s Job Board |
Members receive deep discounts on job postings through the MLA Job Board. Learn more here.
| | | Intellectual Freedom Resources | |
Resources for library staff, educators, and board members.
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Tips and templates for promoting intellectual freedom in your community.
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Request support as you take action to protect First Amendment rights.
| | | Exclusive Savings for MLA Members Who are also ALA members! Don’t Miss Out: Attend the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago! | |
ALA is excited to offer our Association members, who are also ALA members, an exclusive $50.00 off your ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition registration! All you have to do is use the promo code noted on the PDF graphic at checkout.
We hope you'll take advantage of these special savings and the exciting benefits of ALA Annual, including educational programs, inspiring speakers, top-notch authors, and valuable networking activities—all at the best possible price.
Secure your spot TODAY and SAVE: 2026.alaannual.org/registration-rates
| | | Guild of Library Makers (GoLM) | |
The Guild of Library Makers (GoLM) is a mutual aid organization supporting both established library Makerspaces and those just starting out. With over 200 members across 80 libraries, we shift the focus from individual heroics to collective sustainability, ensuring no library has to figure things out alone. Our Discord serves as a real-time hub for daily problem-solving, while our Wiki acts as a permanent repository for documentation and programming.
Following last year’s success, we are thrilled to host GoLMCon again this year. GoLMCon is our annual unconference specifically for library Makerspace staff to share skills, troubleshoot equipment, and build the community ties that sustain our work. Location and timing are TBD, though it will likely take place in the fall (please reach out if your library is interested in hosting us!). From GoLMCon to our Summer Reading Button Exchange (SRBE), we turn digital teamwork into tangible, real-world support. Keep an eye on Michlib-l for updates on SRBE and GoLMCon.
Ready to join the community? Join us on Discord or reach out at guildoflibrarymakers@gmail.com to see how you can get involved, ask questions, or help us grow.
| | | No Reservation Recommendations | |
If you are looking for a vendor or program recommendation, the “No Reservation Recommendations” website provides options that have been submitted by your Michigan-based colleagues.
Read more
https://nrr.ninja/
| | | Don't keep this great resource to yourself!
Please share this newsletter with your colleagues and networks. | | Connect with MLA on social media! Like and Follow us on Facebook and Bluesky for the latest real-time updates from MLA staff, library news, inspirational and educational posts, and more! We also ask that you share this invitation with friends and help us extend our reach so important advocacy updates and calls to action are heard by library supporters throughout the state. | |
Please consider a donation to support our work! With your support, MLA can empower the library leaders of today and tomorrow and continue to enrich the lives of the people that we serve. It takes just a moment to donate here.
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Without our members, there is no MLA. Renew your membership or join our network of hundreds of individuals and organizations from all across the state working together to protect our libraries and advance the library profession in Michigan.
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Uniting the Michigan Library Community
MLA is proud to partner with organizations serving the library community.
| | To lead the advancement of Michigan libraries through advocacy, professional development, and engagement. | | |
Strong libraries,
strong communities,
stronger Michigan.
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