In response to the ongoing pandemic and the financial impact currently affecting all aspects of our lives, the MiALA Board has approved an initiative in hopes of providing relief to all of our fellow MiALA colleagues. We do not want a membership fee to prevent you from continuing your membership during these tough economic times. Starting now until September 30, 2021, all current individual, student, and retiree members of MiALA, can renew their membership for 2021-2022 at whatever you can pay (even if it is $0). Invoices for membership renewals will be sent next month and will indicate the normal membership renewal rate; if you are able to, please submit payment in full by check or credit card. If you would like to renew for less, please just send an email message to contact@miala.org with your name and what you can pay for this membership year (even if it is $0). Your invoice will be adjusted accordingly and resent for payment processing. We only ask that payments of $10 or less be submitted by check (to help us keep credit card transaction fees minimal) If you have any questions on this initiative, please contact the MiALA Administrative Assistant, Heather Ladiski (heather@miala.org).

Gina Bolger
ILL and Reference Librarian 
Cornerstone University

MiALA Board Secretary

What are you currently reading?
I am one of those people who have several books going at one time. The books I've been picking up lately are Reading While Black by Esau McCauley, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren, and Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. I'm also listening to the Inspector Gamache eaudiobooks.

What are your research interests?
My research interests include information literacy at the point of need, embedded librarianship, and finding creative ways to sneak information literacy into classes and assignments.

Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
I'm a lifelong learner so I have too many interests! Mainly I like to read, hike, kayak, sew, and spend time with friends and family.

What drew you to the library profession?
I took my sister's job at our local library when she left for college and worked there through the end of high school. One of the children's librarians kept asking me, "When are you going to become a librarian?" During that time I specialized in the children's area so I thought elementary education was my path. I went to college and earned my teaching degree while working in the university library. After teaching a year of kindergarten in Cleveland, I realized that it was actually the library I loved, not teaching! I moved to Michigan for my husband to go to grad school and got a job in the library at Cornerstone University. I have now worked here for 26 years and still love it. I have filled many positions here in the library over the years and I just love working with college age students and my amazing coworkers.

What do you value about MiALA?
MiALA has played such a positive role in my life! During our second annual conference, I heard Rachel Minkin give an impassioned plea for board members and volunteers. I was truly inspired by her talk and wanted to get involved in the organization. I nominated myself to serve as the secretary and was shocked when I got the position! I've now spent two terms as the board secretary and have loved learning about being on a board and meeting so many wonderful people. My position is opening up this year and I would encourage you to submit your name for this position or any of the other open spots. It has truly been an amazing experience!

Hello MiALA Members. It is that time of year again to start thinking about opportunities to serve MiALA. The Nominating Committee will be making its official call for nominations for the board and IGCC positions this month. The open positions are for all members of MiALA, including library faculty, library staff, and library support staff. 

Please review the Elections Central webpage to review which positions are open for the coming 2021-2022 year, https://www.miala.org/election_central.php . The call for nominations will begin on April 15, 2021. I encourage you all to review the open positions and think about ways you can serve in leading our organization. Please remember you can reach out to anyone of the current members of the Nominating Committee if you have any questions regarding the open positions or ways to serve. The members of the committee are:

Beth Martin, Chair, Western Michigan University
Heather Ladiski - MCLS, MiALA Administrative Assistant
Rebecca Renirie, Central Michigan University
Merle Rosenzweig, University of Michigan
John Szilagyi, Lansing Community College
Carol Whittaker, Delta College
Julia Eisenstein, University of Detroit Mercy
Caryn Noel, Walsh College

The MiALA Advocacy Committee welcomes you to participate in Michigan Library Advocacy Day. The deadline to register is April 12, 2021, 11:59 PM!

This April 20, we need you! You're invited to attend the inaugural (virtual) Michigan Library Advocacy Day! This virtual event is free to attend, open to everyone interested in supporting libraries, and we will provide advocacy training and resources! We look forward to engaging hundreds of library supporters this Spring in advocating for Michigan libraries. Please share this invitation with your colleagues, library trustees and friends groups, and library supporters from your community and register today!

Mark your calendars now for Tuesday, April 20th, and register to join the Michigan Library Association (MLA), the Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA), the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) and hundreds of library advocates from throughout Michigan as we inundate our legislators with our presence on a multitude of scheduled Zoom meetings, phone calls, emails and tweets. We will meet virtually with legislators to thank them for the work they have done in support of libraries and ensure they are continuing to champion the importance of libraries in Michigan communities.

By participating in Michigan Library Advocacy Day you will help establish a stronger voice for the library community, develop important relationships with your local legislative leaders, and garner a greater understanding of the processes related to policy-making from individuals involved in the work on a day-to-day basis. Michigan Library Advocacy Day will also give you the chance to network with other library supporters and create opportunities for future collaborations.

We will be taking care of all the details, providing advocacy training videos and talking points, template communications, and scheduling the Zoom meet and greets with your local legislators - all you need to do is register!

So mark your calendars now, register today, and invite your colleagues, trustees, friends groups, and library supporters from your community to join us!

Learn more and register: https://www.milibraries.org/advocacy-day

Registration for MiALA’s 5th annual conference is open! This event will be held online May 19-21. We're excited about all this virtual conference has to offer, including:

• Keynote Speaker (To be announced shortly)
• Networking reception on Wednesday evening (open to all attendees)
• 35 breakout sessions throughout the conference presented by your Michigan and Ohio academic library colleagues
• A dedicated time for Interest Group meetings on Thursday evening
• Virtual poster sessions with a dedicated live Q&A time on Friday morning
• The MiALA annual membership meeting on Thursday afternoon - see what MiALA has accomplished in the past year, and what's in store for the future!

 
Here's the registration link: https://www.memberleap.com/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=MALA&evid=25341515
 
Registration costs are as follows:
Full Conference Registration - $50 for MiALA, ALAO, and MHSLA members, Free for LIS Students, $75 for all others. All conference attendees will have on-demand access to breakout and poster session recordings for up to 60 days after the conference.
 
*NEW for 2021 - If you join MiALA when you register for the conference, not only will you be able to pay the discounted member rate but your membership will continue until June 30, 2022 (giving you up to three extra months of membership). *This offer is for first time members!
 
For more information about the conference, to go: https://www.miala.org/annual_conference_2021.php
 
 


This conference was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
 

The Conference Scholarship subcommittee is pleased to announce the 2021 Annual Conference scholarship recipients:

2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Recipients (each will receive full registration to the Annual Conference):

• Lauren Day, University of Michigan
• Emily Eitniear, Shelby Public Schools
• Brian Holda, Davenport University
• Merle Rosenzweig, University of Michigan

These recipients will join the 2020 Annual Conference Scholarship winners:

• Cara Cadena - Grand Valley State University
• Courtney Cooney - Kettering University
• Juliana Espinosa - Western Michigan University
• Rocio Lopez - Grand Valley State University
• Rebecca Renirie - Central Michigan University
• Mary Ruge - Hackley Public LIbrary
• Jessica Shuck - Cornerstone University

A huge thank you to everyone who applied, and a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to each of the recipients!

Also, a special thank you to this year's scholarship sponsors: North Central Michigan College and Aquinas College for their support!

With sincere best wishes from the Conference Scholarship Subcommittee:
Elizabeth Walker, Spring Arbor University (Chair)
Beth Lieberman, North Central Michigan College
Ashley Rosener, Grand Valley State University
Cynthia Simpson, Madonna University
Arlene Weismantel, Michigan State University

Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated deep-seated inequities within librarianship and society as a whole, particularly impacting library workers and students who identify as Black, Indigienous, and People of Color; and in support of the precedent set by ACRL in creating their ACRL Funding for BIPOC Library Workers initiative, the MiALA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee has launched the Membership Funding for BIPOC Library and Archives Students and Workers Initiative. The initiative will fund 10 MiALA student membership and 5 MiALA library/archives worker memberships for the period of one year (2021-2022). 

Interested individuals should complete an application form. Selection criteria for granting membership funding are as follows: 

Applicants must identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or as a Person of Color.

students/workers who experienced household job loss, income loss, or furlough during 2020;

are students and/or early-career library workers (having less than 5 years of experience)

currently serve, have served, or will be serving underrepresented populations at academic, college, or research libraries or institutions, including junior, community, or technical colleges; vocational institutions; rural institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); and etc.;

are new to MiALA

Applications will close on May 31st, 2021. Decisions will be announced June 18th, 2021, allowing for membership for all selected applicants to begin July 1st, 2021. Please contact Sheila Garcia (garcishe@gvsu.edu) with any questions. 

Shelby Public Schools
Emily Eitniear

Oakland Community College
Allison McFadden-Keesling