November 2024

Welcome New Members!

Schoolcraft College
Michele Kelly

Lansing Community College
Ami Ewald

Siena Heights University
Casey Koss

Ethical Uses of AI: Critical Librarianship IG Discussion

Discussion of ACLU's Racial Justice Program FAQ page on accountability in AI and the ways in which AI shows bias and the ARL's Guiding Principles for the use of AI in research libraries, crafted and disseminated in 2024. How have you used AI in libraries and what considerations are you taking for ethical use?

Wednesday, December 11 | 2-3:00P EST
https://msu.zoom.us/j/98637537009
No registration required

https://www.aclu.org/issues/racial-justice/accountability-in-artificial-intelligence

https://www.arl.org/resources/research-libraries-guiding-principles-for-artificial-intelligence/

Message From the President

As I watch the leaves fall this afternoon I’m reminded of the importance of the little things. Years ago when I lived in the Upper Peninsula, my family had to become quite good in making sure not to overlook the little things like making sure our winter gear was ready to go. That we had loaded the necessary supplies in the back of the car in case….just in case we got stuck. Also that trick or treating costumes required an extra layer. But probably what was best was how everything seemed to slow down. In fact about this time of the year we would get our first snowfall and my morning ritual of going out early in the morning to shovel wpi;d begin. But there was something about that routine. The quiet with the snow falling. The clear night sky with the aurora borealis streaming overhead.

It is the little things as a member of MiALA that impresses me the most and that I’m most thankful for. Like many I can get caught up in my day to day activities, I fail to see the forest through the trees and lose sight of the little things that make academic librarianship so precious. For instance as a librarian who regularly meets with students and faculty I get to see first hand the impact we can have. Those little moments of students and faculty members, and librarians which are later aggregated in our annual reports become little touchstones as to why we do what we do. And then, sharing those stories with my fellow MiALA members I get to see the everyday whole in what we all do. So watching those leaves called me to remember why we are as good as we are because of the little things. So I hope everyone can take a bit of time in the coming weeks and appreciate the little things.

Cheers,
Mies Martin

Save the Date! MiALA Conference 2025

Planning is underway for the 2025 Annual Conference Driving Excellence: Navigating the Challenges & Opportunities.

The conference will be held at Riverfront Conference Center on the University of Michigan-Flint campus on May 19 & 20, 2025, with pre-conference events taking place on Sunday, May 18.

Over the next few months, watch for regular updates, including calls for presentation and poster proposals, and scholarship opportunities.

The planning committee includes representatives from the conference co-hosts, the University of Michigan-Flint and the University of Michigan-Dearborn, as well as MCLS and academic libraries from around the state, including Hope College, Grand Valley State University, Kettering University, Lansing Community College, Michigan State University, Oakland University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Western Michigan University. If you have questions for the committee or ideas you’d like to share, please email conference@miala.org.

See you all in Flint next May!

Update From the Strategic Planning Committee

Thank you to all who provided feedback as part of MiALA’s strategic planning process. Our discussions have now concluded, and the survey is closed. The Strategic Planning Team will be reviewing all the data we’ve gathered as we start developing MiALA’s vision and key priorities during our November retreat. We hope to provide a progress report to the membership in January 2025. We appreciate your time and dedication to helping us shape MiALA’s future.

Stay tuned for more soon.

Call For Nominating & Elections Committee Volunteers!

The Nominations/Elections Committee seeks members from each of the three types of academic libraries to identify candidates for President-Elect, Secretary, Board of Directors, and Interest Group Coordination Council. Other duties include developing an election timeline, marketing and promoting the election process to members, soliciting candidate’s profiles and information, and verifying election results. The committee will begin its work in February and conclude with the end of the election cycle in June 2025.

If you can spare a few hours in the spring to help us build MiALA’s leadership team, or have questions, please contact committee Chair Darlene Johnson-Bignotti: dxjohnso@oaklandcc.edu

Web/UX IG OCR Accessibility Presentation

The Web/UX Interest Group is hosting a guest speaker from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights—national disability expert Mary Lou Mobley.

Join us for a discussion regarding the changing legal landscape in the field of technology accessibility to people with disabilities. You’ll learn:

• What is required under today’s laws to ensure the services, programs, and events communicated through your website and other digital spaces are accessible.
• What you should be doing to prepare for compliance with recent amendments to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• How OCR works with libraries, universities, and other institutions to resolve digital accessibility cases.

Hear from a disability expert about practical tips that will set you up for success now and prepare you for the future. This program is open to all MiALA members.

Presenter
Mary Lou Mobley graduated from Duke University in 1990 with a law degree and a Master’s in Philosophy. After clerking for a Federal judge, she joined the Federal government in Washington, DC, as a Trial Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, where she earned numerous awards including the John Marshall Award for Distinguished Service and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology. In 2006, she moved to Denver and joined the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

Register to get the Zoom link and add it to your calendar: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcscuCrqTMpHtwwst4yKjRMFDRGVk12-wIC

MiALA Newsletter - November 2024