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Note From Debbie
A Public Library Bill: “Michigan Freedom to Read Act”
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I would have never believed you two years ago if you told me that 80% of my work at MLA would be addressing book banning, censorship and intellectual freedom challenges. But the reality has set in and the pro-active work that MLA continues to institute, day in and day out, to combat these local challenges is to be commended. So many smart, talented, and professional library directors, librarians and library workers are in my ear every day and I thank them for keeping me tuned in to their opinions, what is happening in their communities, what is keeping them up at night, and even their pride and incredible bravery in holding the line.
Continuing the extraordinary and unprecedented work of the Intellectual Freedom Task Force to collect public opinion, institute a public relations campaign, and create MI Right to Read, we are excited to outline and deliver the “Michigan Freedom to Read Act”.
But first, let’s start with some facts as we know them…Read more
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Member Survey Deadline Extended | |
We want to hear from you! Please take a moment to let us know how we might better serve you in the future by sharing your input. The survey should only take 10-15 minutes and will be open until Friday, November 10, 2023.
Thank you for your time and assistance!
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2024 MLA Board Elections Call for Nominations | |
The Call for Nominations for candidates for the 2024 Board of Directors is open! Do you know someone who would be a great addition to the MLA Board of Directors? Submit a nomination! We also encourage you to self-nominate if you are interested in serving on the MLA Board. The Call for Nominations will be open through Friday, November 3. | | |
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The MLA Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (NLDC) is seeking nominations/self-nominations for four member-at-large directors and the President-elect position, with terms beginning in July 2024 and ending in June 2027.
Self-nominations are definitely accepted. Throw your hat in the ring, we’d love to hear from each and every one of you. The submission deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, November 3, 2023. Submit a nomination by clicking the link below. For any questions please contact Debbie Mikula, Executive Director at [email protected].
More information about qualifications and criteria is linked below:
Learn more about MLA Officer Positions (pdf)
Learn more about Board Member Responsibilities (pdf)
Review the questions asked on the nomination form before starting your application: Board of Directors Nomination Form 2024 Requirements (pdf)
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Michigan Library Appreciation Month | |
Celebrate Michigan Library Appreciation Month! ALL October we are celebrating Michigan libraries and library staff and highlighting all the ways libraries serve their communities.
Help us continue to celebrate Michigan's excellent libraries and amazing library staff! All month long, we are featuring quotable wisdom from Michigan librarians and library workers in shareable social media graphics. Follow us on social media, share our posts and give a shout-out to your library staff, or your neighboring libraries. Highlight your library and all that it contains – the building, the collection, the staff, and the fun. Remember to tag your posts #LOVEMILIBRARIES or #MILIBRARYMONTH so we can find and share your posts!
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2023 Michigan Library Awards Honorees | |
We are pleased to share the recipients of the 2023 Michigan Library Awards! The 2023 honorees were unveiled on Wednesday, October 18 during the Michigan Library Awards event in Kalamazoo at an evening of celebration. Each recipient was chosen through peer review for their outstanding achievements. Read more | | |
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MLA's office will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24. Watch for November's Primary Source one day early, on November 22! | | |
Check out MLA's Bill Tracker to view a full list of legislation that the Advocacy and Legislative Committee is watching.
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At the core of every public library’s mission is providing a safe space for different ideas and backgrounds. However, public libraries are being targeted at an alarming rate by individuals and extremist groups to remove books that discuss topics such as racism, sexuality, gender, and history – censoring different perspectives.
We're calling on you to help spread the word about protecting the right to read.
Here's how you can help support your public library. If you haven't yet, join the coalition! As a member of the MI Right to Read coalition, you have access to a toolkit of resources to urge your network and community to protect the right to read.
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Share on social media – tell your friends and family to join!
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Write a letter to the editor in your local paper.
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Contact us if you're willing to author an opinion piece or help in other ways.
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MI Right to Read is an MLA initiative coordinated through the leadership of the Intellectual Freedom Task Force to protect 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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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.
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Think Space 2023-2024: Future Ready Libraries | |
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December 7-8, 2023
Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
February 20, 2024
Virtual Checkin
May 23-24, 2024
Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island
October 17, 2024
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Traverse City
Rates
Member: $1,695
Non-member: $3,390
Deadlines
MLA Scholarship:
November 3, 2023
Registration Closes:
November 8, 2023
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Join us for Think Space, an all-inclusive educational and networking experience designed by library directors for library directors! Join your colleagues for time to THINK deeply in a safe SPACE. The last day to register is November 8! Register today to reserve your spot!
Future-ready librarians peer beyond basic service to pursue innovation and iterative design. They honor the legacy of classic librarianship while embracing a contemporary vision. Fiscally responsible and infinitely responsive, future-proof libraries do not rest on their hands or their laurels. They stake a claim on the shifting landscape of relevance and solve the right problems for their patrons.
Topics covered will include:
- Artificial intelligence
- Deconstructing barriers to access
- Building future-focused spaces
- Fostering resilient workplaces
- Questioning the why behind our policies
- Reimagining the library of the future
The Think Space cohort will meet in person in Grand Rapids this December for the first two-day gathering, followed by a virtual check-in session in February, a two-day gathering in May on Mackinac Island, and concluding with a breakfast reception during the MLA 2024 Annual Conference that is exclusively for members of the Think Space cohort.
Registration includes all educational sessions, breakfasts, lunches, receptions, special events, parking, ferry ticket, and overnight accommodations in Grand Rapids and Mackinac Island.
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Call for Proposals Spring Institute for Youth Services 2024 | |
It's a beautiful day in the library! The 2024 Spring Institute for Youth Services Workgroup is seeking proposals for sessions at the 2024 conference, scheduled for March 7-8, 2024 at the VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center, Muskegon.
At Spring Institute 2024, our goal is to spread our knowledge, help the helpers, and share our significant experiences and ideas along with helpful tips and tricks that can be brought back to your library. We want to help the helpers who support and strengthen our diverse communities.
We're aiming to infuse joy and reinvigorate library professionals with the latest ideas and knowledge in professional development. We need your best practices, engaging ideas, and input. This is an excellent opportunity for you to develop as a library professional. Join us and get empowered at Spring Institute 2024! Submit your ideas and help take your library skills to the next level!
Proposals are due Friday, November 17, 2023.
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MLA 2023 Annual Conference: Connecting the Dots | |
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It was our pleasure to welcome you to the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center, in Kalamazoo Michigan for MLA 2023 Annual Conference! We hope you enjoyed the conference and were inspired to keep Connecting the Dots.
Please take a moment to complete our event evaluation by clicking this link or copying this URL into your browser window: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DX9D3Q. Your feedback helps us to improve our events and services, and we thank you for taking a few minutes to let us know how we did.
Relive the memories by checking out our event photo album on Facebook (or click the photo above). You may see some familiar faces! (Feel free to use any of the photos, but please credit the Michigan Library Association.) Available session handouts and slides are linked on the MLA website and in the event app and recordings of our keynotes will be available on MLA Connect On Demand next week.
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Silent Auction Fundraiser Update | Thanks to our attendees' generous support we were able to raise a total of $1250 from the Silent Auction to benefit the MLA Equity Fund and Educational Scholarship Fund. Thank you to everyone who bid! | | | | |
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MLA 2024 Annual Conference will be held October 16-18 at Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City Michigan. See you there! | | |
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The Food for Thought Recipe Cards are designed to bring together ideas, programs, and services shared at the MLA 2023 Annual Conference in a delightful and easily digestible format. Just like a well-curated cookbook offers a diverse selection of recipes, this recipe book serves up a variety of ideas, insights, and inspirations that are sure to inspire the intellectual palates of library professionals and enthusiasts.
Each Food for Thought idea is a recipe from a Michigan library professional. These ideas are the ingredients that make the library world a dynamic and thriving place. The recipe card is designed to include the key components of the idea, allowing attendees to understand and recreate it in their own library settings. Just click on the image for lots of ideas!
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Thank you to our Sponsors! | |
Michigan Freedom to Read Act | |
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Thursday, November 16
10:00 – 11:00 AM
On Thursday, November 16, join MLA on Zoom at 10:00 AM for our November Advocacy Hour. We will be discussing proposed legislation that addresses the Freedom to Read.
MLA Board President, Dillon Geshel, Advocacy Committee Chair, Jenny Marr, and Intellectual Freedom Task Force Chair, Juliane Morian will be joined by Bob DeVries, MLA’s lobbyist, and members of the Michigan House of Representatives as we share the draft of the legislation and discuss the actions librarians, library workers, and advocates can take to protect intellectual freedom and the right to read to get this legislation passed. There will also be time for Q&A. Plan to bring your questions and join the conversation!
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Save the Date: Thursday, December 14, 2023, at 10:00 AM - December Advocacy Hour – join John Chrastka from EveryLibrary and a representative from GLAAD as they review the June release of “Book Bans: A Guide to Community Response and Action".
Save the Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 10:00 AM – January Advocacy Hour – join Sojourner Jones in a full session on de-escalation training in our libraries.
Advocacy Hour conversations are always free to attend but registration is required.
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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. | | |
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Are you looking for the skills that will take you to that next level of leadership?
Library leaders are constantly managing teams of trustees, staff, volunteers and others. It takes dedicated leadership to turn these groups into one cohesive team striving for a single vision. The Michigan Library Association’s Leadership Academy has a strong history of providing leadership training to librarians across the state and offers the kind of information you wish you could have learned in library school. In the process, you will develop a cohort of colleagues from across the state to call on for support and inspiration as you navigate your way throughout your career. A variety of topics are presented and cover everything from leadership fundamentals to successfully managing the politics inherent in every library position.
Registration for Leadership Academy 2024 will open in December.
Rates:
Member: $1,445 EB / $1,545 standard
Non-Member: $2,890 EB / $3,090 standard
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Support Staff Wellbeing with HealthiestYou | |
Library Directors: HealthiestYou is an affordable option for providing your library staff with access to free online healthcare. It's a healthcare service that offers convenient, confidential access to quality doctors and providers by phone, video, or app 24/7/365.
Questions or Ready to Enroll?
HealthiestYou is available exclusively to MLA Organizational Members. Please contact Rachel Ash, MLA Membership and Communications Director at [email protected] to confirm your library’s eligibility or to join MLA. Rachel will connect you with Corey Cushing to begin the enrollment process.
Check out the recording of our October informational session to learn more, see a demo of the HealthiestYou app, get your questions answered, and get ready to enroll.
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View the Organizational Member Directory |
Search the MLA Organizational Member Directory to view library organizational members of MLA. You can search by library name, address, or zip or view all organizational members in alphabetical order. Need to update your library's info? Library directors can log in to their individual member profiles to access and update their library's organizational membership. | | |
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Shop our store for MI Right to Read apparel and MLA swag. We have shirts designed by local 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! | |
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Do you have news you want to share? Contact Lisa Buttigieg at [email protected] to share news of promotions, new hires, appointments, awards, or a tribute in memoriam. | | | |
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The Library for the Visually and Physically Disabled Branch of Muskegon Area District Library in Muskegon, Michigan, has been honored with the Sub-regional Library/Advisory and Outreach Center of the Year Award by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress for their outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print disabilities. Pictured here left to right – Sax Mahoney, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ron Suszek. Congratulations! | | |
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Bidding farewell to Lawrence Marble, director of the Auburn Hills Public Library whose last 25 years included Salem-South Lyon District Library, Dania Beach Library in Broward County, Garden City Public Library, and the Clarkston Independence District Library. Thank you for your many years of service to the library communities you have served and all the best on your next venture! | |
Advertise on MLA’s Job Board |
Members receive deep discounts on job postings through the MLA Job Board. Learn more here.
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COVID.gov - Free at-home COVID-19 tests | Every U.S. household is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. | | | |
MDHHS Library Partnership for At-Home COVID Tests | MDHHS has partnered with several libraries across the state of Michigan to provide free at-home COVID-19 test kits to Michiganders. Individuals and families should consider seeking out COVID-19 at-home test kits if they are considered more vulnerable to severe health outcomes from contracting COVID-19 or live, work, and socialize in group settings. | | | |
State of Michigan Nonprofit Arts and Culture Relief Fund | |
Committed to getting funds into the hands of Michigan Arts and Cultural Nonprofits that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) announced today the $5 million State of Michigan Nonprofit Arts and Culture Relief Fund application is now live.
The Michigan Nonprofit Arts and Culture Relief Fund (the “Relief Fund”) consists of U.S. Department of Treasury American Recovery Plan Act (the “ARPA”) funds awarded to MACC. The MACC is utilizing the Relief Fund to aid in the equitable recovery of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations statewide. Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations eligible for assistance are those for which arts and culture is the main focus of its charitable mission and that experienced negative economic impacts or disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 3, 2020 and December 31, 2022.
Relief Fund guidelines including how to apply can be found here. Deadline to submit Relief Fund applications is Wednesday, December 13, 2023 before 5:00PM ET.
Read more
https://medc.app.box.com/v/ReliefFundSupportFiles
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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. You can search regionally by library cooperative or search the entire contents of the database by subject. In order to ensure there is a robust and growing database, submit your positive recommendations today!
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With the severe uptick in local and statewide book challenges, ALA offers this clearinghouse of resources to assist library workers and library advocates in responding to and supporting others facing those challenges. Report challenges to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and let ALA know if you need assistance.
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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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Database Coordinator
(517) 881-0496
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Administrative Assistant
(517) 881-1683
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Program and Event Director
(517) 881-3194
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Connect with MLA on social media! Like and Follow us on Facebook and Twitter 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. |
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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.
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