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Last week, I attended a think tank discussion, where this quote from JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, was shared:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
We didn’t dwell on the quote very long, but it lingered in my thoughts with a realization that even without full control on a situation, we still need to have courage and hope - to speak up, stand up and share our values - even when we are afraid.
The federal Executive Orders to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is weighing heavy on our field. But do not despair, there is much we can all do and when we do it together, we are stronger in our actions.
Just think…over 70,000 emails have been received by members of congress just through ALA communications. (Check out the advocacy section below for ways to continue the onslaught of communications.) I’m pretty sure that the other national service organizations that represent museums and history organizations are just as successful. The citizens of our country feel pretty strongly about our libraries, about our cultural institutions and about how our communities are stronger and more vibrant because of their presence.
Our responsibility to “stay the course” and protect what we value – this is the ultimate outcome of all that has been thrust upon us in a world that feels chaotic and messy at the moment.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
You know what to do. This is our time to speak up and stand up. If we don’t, we may lose precious resources and people that matter.
Debbie Mikula
Executive Director
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TAKE ACTION TO SAVE IMLS
TODAY!
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Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators—Jack Reed, Kirsten Gillibrand, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski—sent a letter to the new director of the IMLS. These senators are the co-authors of the last act that reauthorized IMLS. The letter urges Sonderling to continue IMLS’s mission to engage with and support libraries and museums, as Congress intended when it created the agency. Read the letter here.
At the same time as the letter above was being distributed, Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) began circulating a letter for other members of the House of Representatives to sign onto asking the Administration to reconsider the executive order that guts the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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Call Your U.S. Representatives | |
ACTION STEP: TODAY, please CALL your members of the U.S. House of Representatives to ask them to sign onto the letter from Representatives Titus and Bonamici. The deadline for members of Congress to sign onto the letter is end of day Friday, March 28 so calling will be the best option given the short turnaround time.
Find your Congressperson's phone number at milibraries.org/find-your-legislators.
Here is a draft script for the call:
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Hello. My name is {_____} and I live in {city/town}. I work for (or am a patron of) the {insert name of your library} located in {name of city/town}.
I am calling to ask Rep. {____} to sign onto the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representatives Titus and Bonamici asking the Administration to reconsider the executive order that guts the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The deadline for members to sign onto the letter is end of day Friday, March 28.
Here in Michigan, the Michigan Electronic Library - our interlibrary loan system and databases that support our school, university and public libraries will be directly and adversely affected and dismantled if the IMLS is eliminated. {Talk about how IMLS is important to your library and the community your library serves. Support received from IMLS, how many people in the community might be impacted, economic benefit, etc.}
Thank you for your time.
| | | | Meet the Candidates for the MLA 2025 Board Election | |
The MLA Board election will open on Monday, March 31 and close on Monday, April 21 at midnight. This year, MLA members will vote for an MLA President-elect and four Member-at-Large Board positions for terms beginning in July 2025 and ending in June 2028. Election results will be announced in MLA’s Primary Source newsletter on Thursday, April 24. Meet the candidates!
Eligible members will receive an email on March 31 with instructions and a link to vote.
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Lisa Waskin
District Director
Superior District Library
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DJ Bond
Member Engagement Coordinator
The Library Network
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James Kole
Trustee and Treasurer
Bridgman Public Library
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Check out the latest episode of Chapter & Verse, Cataloging Change: The Evolving Role of Libraries
In this episode, hosts Debbie Mikula and Dillon Geshel sit down with Amanda Griggs, cataloger and technical services specialist at Dickinson County Library in Iron Mountain. Amanda shares her journey from childhood library visits to becoming a key player in cataloging and technical services. She discusses the evolving role of libraries, public misconceptions, and the essential services they provide to communities. The conversation also delves into challenges like book bans and the ongoing fight to ensure open access to information.
Hosted by the Michigan Library Association and the Library Cooperatives of Michigan, Chapter & Verse: Storytime from the Stacks features dedicated Michigan library workers and their inspiring stories. Each episode welcomes a library worker from one of Michigan's 11 cooperative regions to share their most interesting and inspiring experiences. New episodes will premiere on the second Thursday of each month. Chapter & Verse is sponsored by Midwest Tape | hoopla.
Listen to the podcast and subscribe on Podbean, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, just search "Chapter & Verse: Storytime from the Stacks".
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“Hi, I’m Mackenzie — a proud Michigan native and recent Michigan State grad! In my free time I enjoy skiing and being outdoors. I’m so excited to be working with MLA!” – Mackenzie Hanfland, MLA Event Coordinator | | | | | |
The MLA staff are welcoming a new member to our team this month! We are pleased to announce that Mackenzie Hanfland has joined the MLA staff this week as our new Event Coordinator! Mackenzie is a recent graduate from Michigan State and will be working with Amber Sheerin, who is moving into a new role as Program Director. “I am so excited to welcome Mackenzie to the MLA team and work alongside her as we continue to grow MLA events and professional development opportunities for our members,” said Amber Sheerin, MLA Program Director. “My role will continue to work on our events and help support our great conference workgroups, but is expanding to take on some new responsibilities, so Mackenzie’s experience and expertise will be a great asset to our organization.”
Mackenzie joined us at our Board and Staff Strategic Planning training earlier this month and officially started her role at MLA this past Tuesday. Feel free to reach out to Mackenzie to welcome her to MLA or ask questions about upcoming events at (517) 881-7242 or mhanfland@milibraries.org.
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Joint Statement on IMLS from Michigan Libraries, Museums, and Archives | |
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) that adversely affects the only federal agency that provides resources to our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives. The EO “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” directs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to eliminate non-statutory programs and reduce its functions and personnel to the minimum required by law. For IMLS, this would mean a dramatic reduction in its scope and capacity to support our nation's cultural institutions. Libraries and museums across the country will feel the effects of these cuts, particularly in areas reliant on discretionary funding and special initiatives.
Read the Joint Statement from Michigan Libraries, Museums, and Archives to learn more and take action!
| | | | ALA Defends ERate at Supreme Court | | |
On Wednesday, March 26, oral arguments began in the U.S. Supreme Court case brought by Consumers’ Research, which argues that the Universal Service Fund—the mechanism supporting E-Rate—is unconstitutional. E-Rate is the program that provides affordable broadband to schools and libraries nationwide for nearly three decades. Listen to the arguments. Learn more
Read the brief for the American Library Association as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioners: Federal Communications Commission v. Consumer’s Research
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Freedom to Read Legislation Reintroduced in House | | MI State Representatives Veronica Paiz and Carol Glanville are still working on behalf of Michigan public libraries and have reintroduced Freedom to Read legislation - now HB4250 and HB4251. We look forward to working with them during this new legislative cycle to move these bills through. Stay tuned. | | | Nonprofit Letter to Michigan's Congressional Delegation | |
MLA, along with more than 500 institutions from Michigan’s nonpartisan, nonprofit and philanthropic sector, has signed on to a letter to Congressional leaders to voice our concerns about the continued efforts to withhold federal funding committed to nonprofits.
“The administration’s attempts to withhold disbursement of dollars already committed by the federal government have already led to disruptions in the lives of working families in Michigan. We strongly oppose such broad and arbitrary actions that, without due process, contradict acts of Congress and upend the lives of everyday households in every Congressional district.
We understand these are challenging times for many. As a collective group, we remain resolute in sharing timely information and in our commitment to advancing policies that strengthen our state through its charitable sector. We advocate as a backbone of the stability and well-being of every Michigander, not a special interest.”
Read the letter here (pdf).
| | | Stay Informed of News Concerning Intellectual Freedom in Michigan | |
MI Right to Read is an initiative led by the MLA and coordinated by the Intellectual Freedom Task Force, dedicated to safeguarding the right to read in Michigan.
MI Right to Read tracks and shares articles and stories from across Michigan to monitor challenges to intellectual freedom, highlight efforts to protect the right to read, and raise awareness about the importance of access to diverse ideas and perspectives. By staying informed about local and statewide developments, we can better advocate for the freedom to read and respond to threats against it. To stay updated and join the conversation, visit www.mirighttoread.com/in-the-news. Please note that some articles may be behind paywalls, and we have no control over access to them.
If you come across a relevant story in your local media, we encourage you to share the link with us! Your contributions help us stay informed and strengthen our efforts to protect intellectual freedom.
Visit MIRighttoRead.com today to join the coalition and take the pledge to protect every Michigander's right to read.
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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.
| | | Don't miss out on upcoming events! Get your tickets! Click the images to learn more and register or 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 2025 Annual Conference Call for Proposals | |
The Michigan Library Association invites proposals for breakout sessions at the 2025 MLA Annual Conference to be presented in person, October 29-31, 2025, at the Lansing Center located in downtown Lansing. The Michigan Library Association Annual Conference is the premier professional development and networking event for Michigan library staff, students, and trustees.
We invite any of the above groups as well as subject matter experts and first-time and returning presenters to propose breakout sessions aligned with our theme of Library Kaleidoscope: Shifting Perspectives. By offering a range of sessions, attendees will be able to find new ways of looking at situations, programs, services, and more. What is possible when you rotate your kaleidoscope? What new combinations will you see?
Submissions are welcome through Friday, May 16, 2025.
Click here to view these guidelines ( PDF). Learn more and submit a proposal.
| | Spring Institute: What do you want to ask Aisha Saeed? | | |
Award-winning children, teen, and YA author Aisha Saeed will be joining Spring Institute on Friday morning for a fireside chat about her works, her writing process, and anything else you may want to ask her. Are you a fan that has a burning question? Submit it on this Google Form and we may ask Aisha your question live in Frankenmuth!
| | MLA Connect Webinar Lineup | |
Check out the lineup of upcoming MLA Connect Webinars on diverse topics from marketing to service animals in the library.
MLA Connect Webinars are only $25 for MLA members. View details about the full lineup and register at milibraries.org/mla-connect
| | | MLIS: Must-Have or Moving On? A Debate on Library Leadership | |
May 1, 2025
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Join us for a lively fireside chat as two experienced librarians, Cathy Russ, Director of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library, and David Conklin, Director of the Genesee District Library, engage in a fun and spirited debate over whether the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree should continue to be a requirement for library directors. One side will argue that the MLIS is essential for maintaining professional standards and equipping directors with the necessary skills, while the other will advocate for opening the role to diverse candidates with varied backgrounds and real-world experience. This conversation will tackle questions of education, equity, and the evolving needs of modern libraries. Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion on the future of library leadership!
MLA Connect Webinars are only $25 for MLA members.
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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.
| | | Discounted Pricing on Streamline Website Services for MLA Members - Available Until June 1! | |
We’re happy to share a limited-time discount for MLA member libraries that sign up with Streamline by June 1. This is a limited-time opportunity for libraries preparing for a new website or seeking a solution to meet ADA requirements.
Streamline is a website platform that can help your library host a website that is both ADA-compliant and user-friendly. Streamline provides intuitive tools to manage communications, board meetings, agendas, minutes, and policy updates—all in one organized system. Plus, they assist with initial setup and offer ongoing customer support to make the transition seamless.
How to Learn more:
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Visit the Library Hub for more information and case studies.
- Request a custom quote using the form on the webpage. Be sure to mention you’re with the Michigan Library Association to receive the discounted pricing.
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Access the recording of MLA's Streamline Informational session here: View the Recorded Session on Zoom
- Passcode: 0D9c?js#
If you have any questions or would like further details, please reach out to Streamline using the contact form on the Library Hub website.
Note that discounted pricing is available to MLA member libraries that sign up by June 1. After June 1, we cannot guarantee the discount will be available for new signups – discounted pricing will only be available after June 1 for libraries interested in working with Streamline if more than 15 new MLA member libraries have signed up for the service.
| | Update Your Member Profile | |
Changed jobs? Got a new email address? Accidentally deleted a confirmation email? Log into the MLA website to manage your member profile! Visit the member portal to keep your contact and work information up to date, view your messages, manage your invoices and forms, and connect with others through the member directory. Do I have to be a member to register for an MLA event? Is my library an MLA Organizational Member? Do I have an Individual MLA Membership? Check out answers to MLA Member Account FAQs (pdf).
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Building a makerspace? Adding nontraditional items to your library’s collection? Looking to grow your audience and promote your programs and services more widely? Join the MLA Community Forums for a conversation about these topics and more!
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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!
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Shop our store for MI Right to Read apparel and MLA swag. We have shirts designed by Michigan artists that promote the right to read, plus MI Right to Read and MLA merch like hoodies, shirts, mugs, and totes! Check out our store, order your gear, and wear your support of libraries and the right to read!
| | | | Do you have news you want to share? Contact Lisa Buttigieg at lbuttigieg@milibraries.org to share news of promotions, new hires, appointments, awards, or a tribute in memoriam. | | | Congratulations to Chrisynthia Casper, the new director at Eau Claire District Library! She steps into the role following Ann Greene's retirement after 42 years of service. With over 15 years of library experience—beginning at a small Army base library in Germany while her family was stationed there—Chrisynthia is excited to serve the community for many years to come. Wishing her all the best in her new role! | | |
Congratulations to Betty Adams of Dearborn Public Library, who was invited by State Representative Erin Byrnes to attend the State of the State address at our Capitol! Betty had the opportunity to advocate for libraries while learning from lawmakers about key initiatives across Michigan. A wonderful chance to represent libraries on such an important stage—well done, Betty!
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It is with sadness that we share that Eugene Griffel, Director of MMLC from 1967 -1992 passed away February 26, 2025. Eugene will be sadly missed.
| | Advertise on MLA’s Job Board |
Members receive deep discounts on job postings through the MLA Job Board. Learn more here.
| | | 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/
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Don't keep this great resource to yourself!
Please share this newsletter with your colleagues and networks.
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Executive Director
(517) 881-1266
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Membership and Communications Director
(517) 881-6652
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Keeley Briggs
Membership and Program Coordinator
(517) 881-0496
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Administrative Assistant
(517) 881-1683
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Program and Event Director
(517) 881-3194
| | 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 all Michigan libraries through advocacy, education and engagement. | | To be an indispensable resource and valued leader, partner and advocate for Michigan libraries. | | | | |
