Nominations for Elections Still Open!
Run for election to be a MiALA leader! Nominations are open until May 21, so there's plenty of time to ask questions and find out more about the election process and about the positions available. Find out more at the Election Central website
Mid-Level Leadership IG Dine Around
Beth Martin The Mid-Level Leadership IG will be hosting a dine around On Thursday, May 17 at 7:00pm at Maru Sushi, 1500 W Lake Lansing Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823. The event will take place during our Annual Meeting. All are welcome, current members and those who would like to learn more about our group. If you are interested please email, Beth Martin, at martelia@gvsu.edu
Save the Date: OER Summit
Tina Ulrich Michigan Colleges Online will be holding its 2nd annual Open Educational Resources Summit on Friday, September 21, 2018, at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron. Join faculty, librarians, administrators, instructional designers and technologists from across the state for a day focused on Open Educational Resources. Save the date poster here.
Keynote speaker: Chris Gilliard, "Interrogating Access: Privacy, Equity and Open Education"
Go here to submit a proposal!
Welcome New Members!
Grand Rapids Community College
Kathleen Schoen
Henry Ford College Eshleman Library
Shannon Rossi
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President's Message
Jessica Sender Happy May, MiALA members. We are just about two weeks away from our annual conference, and I am really excited to see those of you who will be there, as well as learn from those who will be presenting. We are filling up fast, so if you were considering attending, you’ll want to get registered soon! Many thanks to Rachel Minkin and her conference committee for planning what is sure to be a great conference.
There will be multiple opportunities at the MiALA Conference to network, learn, and discuss the future of MiALA. To that end, I wanted to take a minute to briefly talk about an organizational structure change that will be developing over the next year or so. Thanks to the dedicated work of Arlene Weismantle, Emilia Marcyk, and Breezy Silver, as well as the many members who offered feedback through town halls and other venues, we are looking how to change the structure of MiALA. Arlene, Emilia, and Breezy submitted a proposal to change how our Sections and Interest Groups currently operate. The full and executive boards have discussed the proposal extensively, and we’re getting ready to move forward on the proposal. Essentially, we will be phasing out the Sections, and instead form an Interest Group Coordinating Committee. This will be a long process, and I plan to use my past-presidential year to focus on the work it will take to make this change. Arlene Weismantle has offered to co-chair that initiative-we’re not quite sure what that transitional team will look like yet, but be sure that we will be soliciting our membership for input.
This change has been membership driven, and I’m really excited to see how this makes MiALA more nimble and responsive to what people want to do and get out of MiALA-from programming to events to leadership and learning opportunities. Stephanie Mathson and her nomination committee will be moving forward with nominations in our traditional Section/IG leadership structure, with the understanding that some positions will look different next year (2019-2020). This type of change requires a vote of the full membership, something that I anticipate happening in the Fall 2018. I will be talking more about this change at our Annual Conference, and we will have an opportunity at the Annual Conference for members to ask questions about the change and what it looks like.
There are still many questions that need to be answered, but I’m excited to work with everyone to make MiALA into what our members want, and be responsive to calls from our memberships that we’ve heard over the past year.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, and ideas. I look forward to seeing you at MiALA 2018!
April Member Spotlight! Hazel McClure
 Hazel McClure
Liaison to English, Writing, Environmental Studies, and Digital Studies at Grand Valley State University
What are you currently reading?
Over the last week, I've been reading some of my favorite poets, including Alice Notley, Brenda Hillman, and CD Wright. I draw strength and inspiration from the language and images and social justice implications of their poems. I also just picked up a book that an English professor is teaching in a graduate environmental literature course this summer. It's entitled Experimental Animals [A Reality Fiction] by Thalia Field; I started it over breakfast and it is so interesting -- it is historical and seems like it will be dealing with animal rights and gender inequality -- I think it's going to seek to give voice to some of the voiceless in our history.
What are your research interests?
Information literacy threshold concepts, high impact information literacy learning, and collaborations with disciplinary faculty.
Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
I am a steady, slow-but-dedicated jogger, and I love to hike, play soccer, and be outside. I'm a single mom of two incredible teens, so being with them and talking to them about the world is one of my great joys and privileges these days. And I love to travel to towns I've never been to in order to explore and look for great running paths.
What drew you to the library profession?
Honestly, books were the first draw when I was an undergraduate English major and I sought my first library job as a work study student in tech services at CMU. Later, working at a public library as a library page, my interest became about people. I loved that the library was host to so many interactions and served so many needs for folks from all walks of life in a neighborhood in Oakland, CA. I loved the intersection of helping people and learning about what they were curious about; working there was when I decided to pursue an MLS.
What do you value about MiALA?
I value that MiALA supports community and gives academic librarians in Michigan and surrounding states venues to share our interests, research, and challenges.
May Member Spotlight! Sandra McCarthy
 Sandra McCarthy
Faculty Librarian at Washtenaw Community College
What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading gardening books and books on sports.
What are your research interests?
My research interests are virtual reference and promoting the value of the library, and student success.
Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
My hobbies include beading, gardening, and traveling. I have been making jewelry with beads for over 20 years . If you notice any of my jewelry that I am wearing, most likely I made it. The smaller the seed bead the more challenging the piece. My passion for gardening has inspired me with the assistance of my colleagues to start a successful seed library at the Washtenaw Community College Library with the funding from Sustainability Council. I love to travel over the summer. In August 2016, I was in Kenya on a safari for 10 days with my family. This coming summer I will be in the south of France.
What drew you to the library profession?
As a college student at Central Michigan University, I got a job in the library. At that time, the director of technical services enlightened me about the profession and value. After this, I decided to finish my bachelor degree and immediately enroll in grad school for library and information science at Wayne State University. The rest is history.
What do you value about MiALA?
I value networking with other librarians and the opportunity to develop leadership skills. I have built a connection of librarians within Michigan from my involvement with MiALA. By servicing on the MiALA Board and several committees I have been actively involved in decision making. |
