Welcome New Members!
Western Michigan University
Joan Morin
Taubman Health Sciences Library, University of Michigan
Carol Shannon
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Russell Barnes
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Travis Mann
Grand Valley State University
Sandra Teft
Michigan State University Libraries
Alexandra Rivera
Host the 2025 MiALA Conference!
MiALA is currently seeking a host location for the 2025 Annual Conference! Applications are open!
All submitted applications will be reviewed by the Board and a final selection will be chosen later this summer.
Wondering what goes into planning? The Annual Conference is generally a day and a half, but can also include a pre-conference workshop. The host selects the theme and keynote speaker, and can work with other MiALA committees and groups to gather ideas or call for assistance.
Have questions? Reach out to either Darlene Johnson-Bignotti or Mies Martin for more details!
MIX Conference - Save the Date
This year’s MIX conference theme is “Educate, Evolve, Empower: Navigating the Digital Frontier in Library Instruction.” Our information atmosphere is ever-changing, and with the advancement of digital technologies, our approaches to library instruction need to evolve. This event will occur on July 19 at the Kendall College of Art and Design at Ferris State University. Watch for the call for proposals soon.
More than a one-shot? A MiALA IDEA and I & IL conversation
Wednesday, May 22nd , 11am - Noon
Zoom event: register to get the link and add to your calendar: https://emich.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtfuihpz4iGtLyPUIVRcpRXkpPVGU2neTr
Join the MiALA IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Committee and the MiALA Instruction and Information Literacy Interest Group to revisit and continue our discussion of Sophia Leung's article, "The Futility of Information Literacy & EDI: Toward What?" https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/25579/33486 which examines the parallels between one-shot library instruction and one-off EDI workshops.
Everyone is welcome to attend, whether or not you were able to join the initial conversation in January. After a brief review of the main points of the article, we will discuss how these insights can be applied in different institutions and disciplines, and whether the article or the previous discussion has created change to our instruction practices.
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Message from the President
Get ready for takeoff; we’re less than a week from the start of our annual conference, and counting! This year’s theme: “Libraries: Where Ideas Take Flight” promises a two day journey of professional learning and engagement, and our small and mighty Conference Planning Committee has mapped a can’t-miss itinerary. If you see someone wearing a Conference ribbon, please stop and thank them for the many hours they have invested to take this year’s event to a higher altitude.
I am especially grateful to our many colleagues who as co-pilots will guide us to new research and practices through a solid schedule of over thirty breakout sessions, workshops and lighting talks, as well as thirteen poster presentations. In addition, on Wednesday May 15 the Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association (MHSLA) and the Health Sciences IG will jointly host Preparing for Takeoff: Health Sciences Pre-
Refueling is another important tradition of our conference. Be sure to join us Wednesday evening at the WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine for heavy appetizers, beverages, and a tour of this state of the art facility (if you’re coming from the road come as you are); find your flock at a Birds Of A Feather table; make connections during a Dine Around; and other opportunities to mingle.
Thinking about upgrading your involvement in MiALA to a leadership role? Feel free to approach me or any of our executive leaders; look for the Board Member ribbon. We’ll be happy to answer your questions or concerns. MiALA is a member-driven organization and as we look to the future you will learn more at our Annual Meeting about how you can “soar” with us (and for those who won’t be in attendance, we will disseminate highlights of the meeting after the conference).
Be good to each other. I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible and finally matching names to faces!
Darlene Johnson-Bignotti
See you soon in Kalamazoo!
On behalf of the MiALA 2024 Annual Conference Planning Committee, I want to thank all our members and friends for such an enthusiastic response to this year’s conference, which starts next Wednesday, May 15, in Kalamazoo. For the first time in recent memory, we have sold out registration and now have a waiting list. We’ve made sure all presenters have registered and are following up with a few registrations we have questions about. Please check your email (including spam folders) for any and all communications from MiALA to ensure you have the latest info.
We’ll have a full house and a packed agenda, so arrive early and be ready for a fantastic program. See you next week!
Mary O’Kelly
Chair, MiALA 2024 Annual Conference Planning Committee
Don't Miss the MiALA Membership Meeting!
The MiALA Annual Conference will close with a membership meeting Friday May 17. ACRL President and Dean of Purdue Libraries Beth McNeil will give a brief report.
12:00 Lunch begins
12:25 Call to Order & President’s Report
12:30 ACRL President Beth McNeil
12:45 Membership Committee
12:50 Communications & Marketing Committee
12:55 Conference Planning Committee
1:00 IDEA Committee
1:05 IGCC
1:10 Nominations Committee and ByLaws Amendment
1:15 Strategic Planning Workgroup
1:20 Treasurer’s report/FY 2025 Budget
1:25 Q&A
IDEA Featured Resource
This month’s featured resource from the MiALA IDEA Resources for Education and Training list is:
Benjamin, R. (2019). Race after technology: Abolitionist tools for the new Jim Code. Polity.
Description: In this book, Benjamin describes how technology (including artificial intelligence, social media, and search engines) reinforce white supremacy and social inequity and hide evidence of discrimination and racism while appearing neutral.
As part of the IDEA Committee's continued effort to build a concise, streamlined list of recent articles, books, reports, training resources and toolkits, websites, videos, terminology resources, and online communities related to IDEA, MiALA members are invited to suggest resources. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Do you have resources for this month you'd like to share? Make your suggestion here.
Call for MiALA Board and IGCC Nominations Still Open!
Nominations for this year’s MiALA Elections are still open! Nominations will stay open until a week after the conference. Voting will take place the first two weeks of June, and new terms will start July 1. Open positions this year are:
You can review the duties and election timeline for the open positions on MiALA’s Election Central Webpage or in the MiALA Policies and Procedures Manual. Please consider nominating yourself or a colleague. The nomination forms for the Board positions and Interest Group Coordinating Council are live. The proposed Bylaws Amendments are also available on Elections Central.
This year, one position for the Private University Rep is open. Here’s what one of our current Private University Reps, Aaron Kilgore, said about his experience:
Being part of MiALA’s board has been a rewarding look at how academic library organizations can function and grow in both a professional environment and an online context. Being on the board gives the opportunity to volunteer for both committee and liaison duties, and to further deepen connections with fellow library professionals while assisting them in their communications with MiALA.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Nominations and Elections Committee at elections@miala.org.
Best,
Carin Graves
On behalf of the Nominations and Elections Committee
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