Michigan State University Libraries
Neil Romanosky

Grand Valley State University Libraries
Amy Bailey

Wayne State University
Paul Bracke

Web/UX IG Knowledge Share: UX Consistency
11/28/2023

Critical Info Lit for Students in Library Instrucution
12/06/2023

MiALA Board Meeting
12/07/2023

IGCC meeting
12/12/2023

Cataloging & Metadata Coffee Chat
12/12/2023

Have you recently joined MiALA? Even if you’ve been a member for a while, we want to get to know you better! If you are interested in being featured in our monthly MiALA Member Spotlight, simply submit your entry by going to the member spotlight questionnaire. You can also view previously published spotlights on this page.

The Nominations and Elections Committee needs volunteers! In the spring, the Nominations and Elections Committee solicits nominations and runs the elections for the open Board positions and the Interest Group Coordination Council.

The committee will consist of the Past-President, Carin Graves, as Chair and five other members. The committee needs two members from each institution type: public, community college, and private. Please email Carin Graves at gravesc@msu.edu if you would like to volunteer.

We are in particular need of volunteers from community college and private institutions.

Join the OER-IG on Dec. 7, @ 1:00 for our monthly meeting. This will be a structured presentation on OER Basics and tips for finding OER. All are welcome. Register to receive a meeting link.

As we enter a season of thanks and giving I find myself reflecting on the many good things in my life. Here are just a few.

• My life partner, favorite travel companion, and fellow librarian Ken Bignotti, who told me five years ago I would one day become MiALA’s President (and I laughed)!

• The World’s Cutest Manx Cat, aka my rescue boy Buddy. We just celebrated his 14^th “Gotcha Day”, a milestone we weren’t sure he’d make due to a recent cancer diagnosis. But six months later he’s still here and he’s constantly begging for treats!

• My mom, Carrie Johnson, who by the time you read this will have blown out 98 candles on her birthday cake. I’m not sure that she really knows what I do for a living, but she’s always been supportive and seems proud that I’m doing it!

• And of course the many smart, dedicated,and hard working Board members, IG and Committee Chairs, and other volunteers from libraries across the state that are the heart and soul of MiALA!

Another aspect of MiALA that I am thankful for is that we are not yet big enough to be intimidating, yet established enough  to be on solid footing. There are many opportunities for engagement and you don’t have to have an “in” to get involved. Some commitments may require attending a monthly meeting. Others may focus on a single event or short-term initiative. No matter what your professional passion or area of interest may be, there is a place for you! Feel free to reach out to me or any Board member and let us help you find your fit.

Be sure to also check our homepage for virtual meet-ups, webinars, and other educational  opportunities sponsored by our IGs.

Be good to each other, and wishing you all a reflective and enjoyable Thanksgiving recess.

Darlene Johnson-Bignotti

Mark your calendars and get ready to soar to new heights at the 2024 Annual MiALA Conference "Libraries: Where Ideas Take Flight!"

Do you have an idea that you want to elevate to new heights? Calls for posters and presentations will be coming soon.

The 2024 MiALA Annual Conference will take place at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. Thursday May 16 - Friday May 17, 2024 with a tentative special
reception and downtown dine-around for early arrivals on the evening of May 15.

Finally, a huge thank you to all who responded to the call for volunteers. We are finalizing subcommittee rosters. Subcommittee leaders will be reaching out to volunteers in a few weeks.

If you have questions for the committee, please email conference@miala.org.

Casual Conversation: Critical Information Literacy for Students in Library Instruction

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 from 1:00P - 2:00P via Zoom

Please join the Information Literacy & Instruction and Critical Librarianship Interest Groups in a joint conversation about incorporating critical information literacy "tidbits" in your library teaching.

Library instruction sessions are already packed with agenda items and our time with students is limited. Should we dedicate time in class for topics related to critical librarianship? How can we incorporate meaningful critical information literacy "tidbits" throughout our class? What lessons naturally fit alongside the typical topics we cover, and how can we include them for critical teaching moments? Share what has worked for you, and learn from what others have done.

Register to get the Zoom link and add to your calendar: https://emich.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkdumtpjgoG9RmrpqnAUTUrzKGN2LoLLWN

Thanks to funding from the Library of Michigan and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U-M School of Information will launch a 2024-2025 program focusing on community engagement and strategic communication. Although the content will be geared primarily to public libraries, they are offering an opportunity for two MiALA members with supervisory duties to participate in the cohort for free.

Beginning in January 2024, the cohort will meet monthly for 90 minutes on Zoom on Friday mornings. Participation would include professional media training from a crisis communications firm and possibly a community survey. The program would cumulate in March- April 2025 when the two participants will present a short session at a public conference in Lansing.

If you are interested in being considered for the cohort please contact Darlene Johnson-Bignotti at dxjohnso@oaklandcc.edu by Friday December 1.

For more information, please visit: https://libacad.sites.uofmhosting.net/faqs/