I have been a member of the MiALA IGCC from 2024-2026, and serving as chair from 2025-2026. In my role as IGCC chair I am a voting, ex-officio member of the MiALA Board, and have experience and familiarity with leading meetings and participating in Board activities. Through my participation on the Board I have been involved in a review of the MiALA Procedures Manual, which has granted me a greater understanding of the organization as a whole. I have also served as the co-chair of the Fine Arts IG since 2023. 

Why would you like to serve on the Board?
MiALA has been incredibly impactful to my academic library career. I became a MiALA member and attended my first MiALA conference as a library graduate student, and have always found an incredible value in the community, professional development, and opportunities within the organization. I have greatly enjoyed the service opportunities I have participate in through MiALA already, as an IG chair and member of the IGCC. I am very interested in continuing my service and growing my experience as a leader through the position of VP/President Elect.

What would you like to gain from your time on the Board?
I would like to gain a greater understanding of MiALA as a whole, and how the association can best serve its members and member institutions. I would also like to grow in my confidence and capability as a leader, and strengthen my relationships with other academic librarians in Michigan. 

Prior leadership experience:
I have served as the treasurer for MiALA for the last two years. I am also currently serving on the ACRL Budget and Finance Committee, bringing me additional experience in how another professional organization approaches financial decision-making. I have volunteered for MiALA in a variety of areas, including HEIS IG co-chair, conference planning committees, and conference committee chair for the 2022 Conference. My role as Head of Collections and Access at Hope College also includes budget oversight and decision-making. 

Why would you like to serve on the Board?
The reason that I am interested in serving for a second term as treasurer is that I appreciate what MiALA is trying to enact through its strategic plan. We are at an exciting stage of growth, and I think having continuity in the treasurer role will help ensure that our financial planning aligns well with the organization's financial health and strategic goals.

What would you like to gain from your time on the Board?
I have learned so much from the work of the Board these past two years and have appreciated connecting with this group of professional colleagues. I hope to continue to develop these professional relationships through an additional term.

 

Prior leadership experience:
I have been an academic librarian for 24.5 years, serving at both community colleges, small private colleges, and public universities. I have been a library employee for over 30 years. I have been a member of MiALA since 2016. In addition to serving on the MiALA Board from 2023 to the present, I was a member of the Interest Group Coordination Council from 2022-24 and the chair of the STEM IG from 2020-21. I have extensive experience as an information literacy librarian. My current specialties are in scholarly communications, particularly focused on Open Access publishing and copyright/fair use. I am currently serving as the Chair of the University Libraries faculty at the Western Michigan University Libraries.

Why would you like to serve on the Board?
I have served for 2.5 years on the Board of Directors, first as the Board liaison from the Interest Group Coordination Council, and currently as the elected Publicly Funded University Representative (term ending this year). I have really enjoyed working with the Board on initiatives such as the strategic planning process, revising the MiALA policy manual, renewing the MCLS service contract in 2024, and reviewing proposed bylaws changes. I have learned so much about how to facilitate the activities of a professional organization and how to grow that organization. I have made wonderful professional connections. I look forward to the opportunity to further develop my leadership skills and deepen my connection with MiALA.

What would you like to gain from your time on the Board?
My leadership skills are evolving at this point. In serving on the Board, I have learned about the challenges that face professional organizations, especially relatively new ones such as MiALA. All my academic colleagues across the state are frantically busy, and setting aside time to be professionally active (especially for librarians without faculty status) can be very challenging. In addition, MiALA is at a critical juncture, where it is moving beyond just being a new professional organization to something more established. It needs to define and develop its programming to remain professionally relevant. It needs to continue to grow its membership to remain financially viable. Finally, we are facing several unique external challenges in higher education, including financial and existential, that will require all academic librarians to work together to justify our value. I would like to continue to work on the board toward meeting these challenges.

Prior leadership experience:
2001 MA in Pastoral Studies
2003 MA in Library and Information Science
2003-2007 Cataloging at St. Olaf College

Why would you like to serve on the Board?
I am a librarian at Alma College, a small private liberal arts institution, where I began my career as a Technical Services Librarian in 2009. A year ago, I stepped into the role of Library Director.
Over the course of my career, I have experienced both the positive and challenging impacts faced by small, privately funded colleges. These experiences have given me a strong appreciation for the importance of collaboration, advocacy, and shared problem-solving among institutions with similar missions and constraints.

What would you like to gain from your time on the Board?
I'm interested in serving on the MiALA Board as a way to learn from other librarians and better understand the broader issues facing academic libraries in Michigan. I'm especially looking forward to connecting with colleagues at other private colleges and sharing ideas and experiences. I hope to grow professionally through this work and bring useful insights back to my own institution.

Prior leadership experience:
I have worked in various roles in a community college library for 13 years. In this time, I have held positions in reference and instruction services, access services, and administration. This experience has given me a fuller understanding of the functions of a community college library. This understanding will allow be to communicate the role and needs of community colleges in the academic library community. 

In the past two years, I have served on the conference planning committee and on the advocacy committee. These experiences have given me the opportunity to learn more about different aspects of MiALA's work. On the advocacy committee, I have led the effort to increase participation in MLA's Library Advocacy Day. Efforts to communicate our worth as academic libraries to politicians and the public is always important work, but at this time it is more critical than ever. Further, I serve as an informal liaison between the advocacy committee and Upper-Level Leadership interest group as they work together to create professional development the spans both groups.

Why would you like to serve on the Board?
I have been a member of MiALA for many years. I have served on committees and participated in interest groups. I would like to continue to grow in my service to MiALA. The Community College Representative position seems like a good fit to continue my service as I have worked in a community college library for 13 years. 

What would you like to gain from your time on the Board?
As I learned as part of the advocacy committee, creating a network of like-minded folks is essential to the promotion and success of any organization. I hope to expand the network of academic libraries in Michigan and provide opportunities to work together. The MiALA strategic plan reflects these same goals. I want to support MiALA through increased opportunities for communication with and the growth of our members.

 

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