Marlene Edge-Phillips
Assessment & Research Librarian 
Saginaw Valley State University

What are you currently reading?
The Fletch series by Gregory Mcdonald. I realize that these books are a bit dated, but they are a lot of fun to read and I enjoy the sarcasm, dark humor, and plot twists. Just imagine, "detective noir meets 70s/80s Santa Monica Pier."

What are your research interests?
User needs assessment, usability studies, conducting surveys & focus groups, statistical data analysis, and creating dashboards.

Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
I enjoy traveling with my husband. Our favorite destinations are the US & British Virgin Islands (St. John and Tortola are my favorites). I am an avid cyclist and cannot wait to visit the many awesome trails in Michigan. We recently got a dog bike trailer so our 2 pups can join - Buckley is a maltese-poodle and Bowie is a miniature schnauzer-poodle.

What drew you to the library profession?
True story, I started working at my university library during my sophomore year because my roommate said it was a "chill job" and I could walk there from my dorm. Shortly after I was hired I realized the wealth of resources available for students and I created relationships that lead to life-long friendships and mentors. This was the first time in my life I really felt at home and decided to make it a career.

What do you value about MiALA?
I value the networking and the availability of in-person and virtual resources. I was fortunate to do a lightning presentation at MiALA 2018 and had such a wonderful and positive experience. I look forward to expanding my involvement with the association in my new role at SVSU and to continue collaborating with such a talented group of people.

University Of Michigan, University Library
Monica Porter

Washtenaw Community College
Meghan Rose

Hillsdale College
Lori Curtis

Calvin University
William Katerberg

 

Date Change for 2021 MiALA Annual Conference!!

The 2021 MiALA Annual Conference will be held online on Wednesday, May 19 - Friday, May 21. 

Watch the annual conference webpage for the latest updates!

If you join MiALA when you register for the conference, not only will you be able to pay the discounted member rate but your membership will continue until June 30, 2022 (giving you up to four extra months of membership). *This offer is for first time members! 

Full Conference Registration 

• $50 for MiALA, ALAO, and MHSLA members
• Free for LIS students
• $75 for all others

There will be no one-day registration. All registered attendees will have on-demand access to all conference recordings for up to 60 days after the conference.

Registration will be opening around March 15. Watch https://www.miala.org/annual_conference_2021.php for more updates!

This event was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services

After having to postpone the 2020 annual conference last spring, the MiALA conference committee is looking forward to the virtual 2021 conference. While we have retained an excellent selection of poster sessions from presenters who generously agreed to present their 2020 content this year, we also have the opportunity to add additional posters. The MiALA conference committee seeks proposals for the 5th annual conference to be held virtually May 19-21, 2021.
 
We welcome posters in any topic related to work in academic libraries, and particularly if they have a connection to the conference theme. Broad participation is encouraged from librarians, staff, LIS students, and administrators from all types of academic libraries (including but not limited to public universities, private colleges, and community colleges). Poster proposals should include a description of no more than 300 words. They will be evaluated on relevance to the academic library profession, originality and creativity, and clarity/applicability of content and outcomes.
 
We are notably welcoming poster proposals on research and library projects related to current events in libraries including:
 
-Antiracism work in libraries in response to events of 2020
-Quick pivots in service models during COVID shutdowns. What have we learned?
-How COVID adjustments will transform library service models long-term
-Staff work-life balance in the work-from-home environment
-Role of academic libraries in a hyper-politicized era
 
You DO NOT need to be a member of MiALA to submit a proposal. Regardless of the decision on a proposal, MiALA encourages you to attend the conference. Poster session proposals may also be submitted if your presentation proposal is not accepted.
 
****Prior to submitting your proposal, please review the information provided on the Poster Session Guidelines page.****
 
Please submit your poster proposal using the application form located here by Friday, March 5, 2021. The primary contact listed on each proposal will receive a message indicating receipt of the proposal when it is submitted and decisions on proposals will be communicated to the primary contact by Friday, March 26, 2021.
 
Questions about proposals can be sent to David Scott DavidScott@ferris.edu. Questions about the conference in general can be sent to conference@miala.org.