October 2020

Congratulations to Tim Peters!




Congratulations to Tim Peters! Tim has been appointed to the MiALA Board of Directors to fill the recently vacated Public University Representative position. 

Tim is the Associate Dean of University Libraries at Central Michigan University. Prior to becoming Associate Dean in August 2018, he served as Director of Library Research and Instruction Services (2010-2018) and Director of Off-Campus Library Services (2007-2010). Before arriving at CMU, Tim spent sixteen years as a community college library director at two institutions, one in Michigan and one in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He began my career as a Cataloger/Reference Librarian at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Welcome New Members!

University of Colorado - Denver
Cinthya Ippoliti

Aquinas College
Austin Phillips

Wayne State University
Kari Theisen

Purdue University Fort Wayne
Ann Marshall

Grand Valley State University
Amber Dierking

Michigan School of Psychology
Jana Thompkins

Michigan School of Psychology
Jana Thompkins

Western Michigan University
Sara Volmering

Eastern Michigan University
Amy Fyn

 

2020 MiALA Academic Librarian of the Year Award Announcement

The MiALA Academic Librarian of the Year Award Task Force is pleased to announce the inaugural award recipient, Sandra Calemme McCarthy from Washtenaw Community College.
 
A huge thank you to everyone who applied, and congratulations to Sandra!
 
Sandra will receive a statuette, a $250 cash award, and complementary registration to the 2021 MiALA Annual Conference.
 
Sandra, along with other award recipients, will be formally recognized during a special statewide event, to be held the evening of Thursday, October 29, 2020 (via zoom). For more information on the Michigan Library Awards virtual event, go to: https://www.milibraries.org/michigan-library-awards
 
For more information on the Academic Librarian of the Year award, go to: https://www.miala.org/miala_mi_acad_librarian_of_the.php
 

Welcome to our newest institutional member!

Welcome to the Michigan School of Psychology library. They have just joined as MiALA's latest institutional member! Thank you for your support!!

Member Spotlight

Cynthia Simpson


Cynthia Simpson
Director of Library Services
Madonna University
and
2020-2021 MiALA President






What are you currently reading?
At the beginning of quarantine, I read The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish, by Emily Voigt. My son is very interested in exotic fish and we have several aquariums in the house of over 100 gallons. I have a better understanding of the fish that fascinate him after this incredible dive into this NYT best seller. This book had everything; travel, science, biology, murder and fantastic writing. It was, by far, one of the best reads of my life. I recently finished Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, exceptional, and look forward to reading more from this talented author. This week I'm focused on Mindset by Carol S. Dweck. I've wanted to look into her work for awhile now, and this being a required text for class this term helps move it up the list! 

What are your research interests?
Everything!

Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
I love to run outdoors, the wilder the trail the better! It resets my disposition and provides a wonderful launch to the day. I live in a rural area and neighbors I meet on my treks include deer, turkeys, raccoons, sand hill cranes and Kevin, the neighborhood rescue peacock.

I live vicariously through my son's many pets including Bella, our lovely rescue Pitt Bull and his three new Amazon stingrays, known to locals as the "wish you were dead fish". I keep my hands out of that tank!

My significant other, family, friends and school, working on a doctorate, make a complete life. 

What drew you to the library profession?
A good friend of mine was in the program at Wayne when I was figuring out life's next steps. I don't know why I never thought of it myself, but as soon as she mentioned it, I applied to the program, from her kitchen, the very next day. I started in youth services, moved to adult after two years, managed an interlibrary loan department and then transitioned into academic librarianship. Prior to becoming a librarian, I taught in Asia and loved it! Everything I enjoyed about teaching I can do in a Library, from working directly with students and faculty to learning about new trends. It's fascinating and every day offers a different buffet of intriguing options. 

What do you value about MiALA?
MiALA is inspiring, educational and empowering. Through my experience with MiALA, I have meet and been encouraged by a variety of professionals on a variety of topics. The conferences are outstanding, the perfect culmination of a year of hard work by the committee and presenters, always pulling together an enlightening program that enriches your passion for the profession while expanding your skill set. Additionally, it's so fun to check out the CUTE purses people bring!

The mentoring opportunities and boot camps are also not to be overlooked.

MiALA is currently gathering reopening plans to help build a repository for benchmarking in the current landscape, and also to preserve this valuable information for future scholars. 

Is there anything else that you would like to share?
MiALA is only strong because of the involvement of its members. We need you. YES, YOU! We need your voice, your experience, your perspective. If you've ever thought about joining a committee or investigating an interest group, now's the time. Check us out! 

COVID has hit our professional community hard and this year, you have an option to join MiALA for free. We realize financial hardships prevent people from investing in professional development and, if you are experiencing a financial hardship, just join us without cost this year. You define what hardship means, no strings attached. We just want you on board.

Take care and stay safe out there!
 
MiALA Newsletter - October 2020