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).

Washtenaw Community College
Maureen Perault

Northern Michigan University
Michael Strahan

 

Emilia Marcyk
Teaching & Learning Librarian 
Michigan State University

What are you currently reading?
I just finished The Galaxy and the Ground Within, which is the final novel in Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series. Also reading the latest Murderbot novella from Martha Wells and about to start The Unbroken by C.L. Clark. For my professional reading, I have been working my way through this Critical Disinformation Studies syllabus: https://citap.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20665/2021/03/Marwick_Kuo_Cameron_Weigel_2021_CriticalDisinformationStudiesSyllabus.pdf. 

What are your research interests?
Critical Disinformation Studies (see above), helping students develop strategies for navigating our current information environment, fact-checking and critical news consumption, critical approaches to information literacy/librarianship in general.

Do you have hobbies or interests outside of the library?
I love growing food (peas, tomatoes and garlic are my favorite), baking sourdough bread (I'm a sourdough hipster - I was doing it before it was "cool"), reading, hiking, camping, paddle boarding and generally spending time around water. I also spend a lot of time parenting my son which is not really a hobby per se, but is a lot of fun (and work)! He definitely keeps things interesting. 

What drew you to the library profession?
I decided that I wanted to be a librarian when I was 10 even though I had no idea what librarians actually did. I thought I wanted to be a children's librarian until I fell in love with academic library reference and instruction during my assistantship in grad school. I guess I got lucky that my childhood ambition ended up being what I actually wanted to do as an adult, even though working as a librarian is very different than I imagined at the time. 

What do you value about MiALA?
Meeting amazing Michigan library colleagues. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to both plan and participate in professional development events. 

The Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce that Von Washington, Jr., from the Kalamazoo Promise will be this year's keynote speaker.

In 2005, a group of anonymous community members recognized the financial barrier that tuition created for accessing post-secondary education. They anonymously started a scholarship fund, the Kalamazoo Promise, for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools to circumvent those burdens. Since its inception, the Promise has helped over 8,000 KPS graduates pursue higher education goals.  
 
Join Von Washington, Jr., Executive Director of Community Relations for the Kalamazoo Promise, as he shares how he, a former children’s librarian, built community through programming and partnership. We will hear how that same sense of community building is integral to the success of creating a community of future learners through the Kalamazoo Promise. 
 

Don’t miss out on the 2021 MiALA Annual Conference! Registration for the conference ends on Thursday, May 13th! For more information on the conference, check out the conference information page.

Thank you again to our generous sponsors!



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

• 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

It’s time to consider the possibilities for leadership and service with the Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA).  We recognize the challenges we continue to face during this unprecedented event, and MiALA will continue to serve its members - but we need your help.

Leadership takes many forms in MiALA and there are many service opportunities available. 
 
Why is serving in MiALA leadership a win/win for all of us? Because service with MiALA:

• Takes only a few hours of time each month;
• Can count toward tenure or continuing appointment requirements at your institution;
• Establishes an active professional network with colleagues from other institutions;
• Promotes academic librarianship through collaboration and communication.

Do you or someone you know have the dedication and enthusiasm to serve in MiALA leadership? Or someone who is newer to academic librarianship in Michigan? Or someone who is eager to enhance their leadership skills? If so, please nominate them (or yourself) to run for one of these open Board positions:

• Vice President/President-Elect
• Secretary
• Publicly Funded University Rep
• Private College Rep
• Community College Rep
• Interest Group Coordination Council Representatives (Two 2-year terms and Two 1-year terms) 

Nominations open on April 15, 2021 and will be accepted through May 21, 2021. Newly-elected positions will begin service on July 1, 2021. 
 
Have a question about the MiALA elections? See our Election Central website for complete information, including a timeline and position descriptions: http://miala.org/election_central.php. Any other questions about the nomination or election process, please contact the Nominations & Elections Committee at elections@miala.org.