Welcome New Members!
Oakland Community College
Joan K Weddell
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries
Anne Heidemann
Western Michigan University, Waldo Library
Marijo Loper
University of Michigan
Vitalina Robinson
Central Michigan University Libraries
Michael Curcuruto
Educational Resources Lab
Melissa Kempski
Siena Heights University
Matthew Pannkuk
Wanted! Your Member Spotlight!
IDEA Featured Resource
This month’s featured resource from the MiALA IDEA Resources for Education and Training list is:
Ferrara, L. (2023). Library staff’s understanding of attitudinal barriers experienced by individuals with disabilities in libraries. Reference Services Review, 52(1), 50-65. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-03-2023-0033
This study investigates how library staff understand disability and attitudinal barriers and how they use their knowledge of attitudinal barriers when planning programs and services for individuals with disabilities.
Mid-Level Leadership IG Fall Meet-ups
Join the Mid-Level Leadership IG as we explore a different topic each month. Meetings will alternate between informal discussions and more "formal" facilitated discussions or presentations related to a broad range of management and leadership topics. Please add yourself to the Mid-Level Leadership IG to receive meeting reminders and the registration link.
Fall 2025 dates:
Sep 11, 2025, 1-2 pm
Oct 9, 2025 1-2 pm
Nov 13, 2025 1-2 pm
Dec 11, 2025 1-2 pm
OER & Critical Librarianship IG Event: Accessibility in OER
Please join the OER and Critical Librarianship IGs in a co-hosted event on accessibility and ADA Title II requirements for Open Educational Resources. Special guests Heidi Schroeder and Austin Deneau from the MSU Libraries Accessibility Team will present on and answer your questions about:
- The "A" in DEIA
- OER and Title II
- Engaging student employees in Ally work
September 9, 2025 at 10A via Zoom
Please register to receive the Zoom info and calendar invite:
https://msu.zoom.us/meeting/register/ykIVox0GQLCVtr_n-hLOvw
|
Message From the President
I’m excited to start my term as MiALA President! I want to acknowledge and thank Mies Martin, now Past President, for leading our association through so many productive conversations and strategic decisions last year. Under Mies leadership, we completed and adopted a new strategic plan, reviewed and signed a new agreement with MCLS for administrative support, updated timelines for conference planning and elections, and much more! Also, thank you to our dedicated members who rolled off the board at the end of June: Darlene Johnson-Bignotti (2022-2025 VP, President, Past-President), Katrina Rouan 2023-2025 Secretary), Mariela Hristova (2024-2025 IGCC Chair), Sheila Garcia-Mazari (2023-2025 Representative, Publicly Funded University), and Rebecca Tull (2023-2025 Representative, Privately Funded University). I look forward to continuing the momentum of last year’s board and building upon their great work.
Welcome to our new and continuing 2025-2026 member leaders and volunteers! As a completely volunteer run association, your engagement with MiALA and willingness to dedicate your time and effort to our association’s success is invaluable. Our 2025-2026 MiALA Board, Interest Group Coordination Committee, and Committee and Interest Group Leadership met on August 14 to kick-off activities for the year. In addition to orienting each other to processes, policies, and the wealth of MiALA resources, we discussed the association’s new strategic plan and opportunities for moving goals forward. Our conversation was far reaching, and we had more ideas than we’ll be able to accomplish in one year. I’m happy to report that committees have several initiatives already underway! When we meet in September, the board plans to discuss the top eleven ideas (yes, dear members, we were too ambitious to stop at 10!) that surfaced during the retreat to determine next steps. The projects range from making improvements to how we communicate with and connect members (tools and strategies) to how we intentionally advocate for important issues related to our profession.
The 2025-2026 MiALA committee rosters are now set, and the volunteer interest form is closed. It will reopen in the spring when we start making committee appointments for 2026-2027. In the meantime, if you want to get involved, I encourage you to reach out to an interest group chair, committee chair, or a member of the board to let us know where you would like to support MiALA’s efforts and we’ll make sure to get you connected! Visit the MiALA website to see a current list of committees and IGs, as well as the roster of volunteers across the association.
Sincerely,
Julie Garrison
MiALA President
Joint Letter Urging Congress to Fund IMLS
MiALA joined a coalition of associations representing Michigan’s libraries, museums, and historical societies and sent a joint letter to Congressional leaders urging them to support funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in FY 2026.
Without IMLS support, schools, libraries, historical organizations, universities, and community colleges would face major challenges in sustaining these programs, especially those with limited local funding. The economies of scale that make these statewide services affordable would disappear. For example, the current cost of MeL database subscriptions statewide is $2,481,885 annually. If each institution were to purchase those resources independently, the total cost would skyrocket to $66,910,870. Michigan residents depend on these programs for education, career development, and access to reliable information. Continued federal funding through IMLS is essential to ensuring equal access for all.
Immediate Advocacy Action to Protect Funding for MeL/MelCat
As the Advocacy Committee prepares to kick off what we expect to be a very active year politically this Fall, we are writing today to share an immediate action you can take today to support federal funding for IMLS. We strongly encourage members who live in the Second District of Michigan, represented by Congressman John Moolenaar, to reach out directly to his office and communicate the importance of IMLS funds. John Moolenaar is on the Appropriations Committee, and Congress will consider library funding in September, which gives us time to advocate now.
Please see the sample text below to use when contacting John Moolenaar, adapted from ALA’s IMLS Advocacy campaign. We encourage you to add personal anecdotes to showcase the impact of IMLS funding on your library. For members not represented by Moolenaar, we encourage joining ALA’s Advocacy efforts to protect IMLS funding.
Call Script:
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m a constituent from [YOUR ADDRESS] and I’m calling to urge Representative John Moolenaar to support libraries and protect the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
On March 14, President Trump issued an executive order to eliminate I-M-L-S. If this order is allowed to stand, it will hurt millions of Americans who rely on our libraries. A June 2025 poll from the Michigan Library Association shows that 79% of respondents approve of Michigan libraries’ work, up from 71% in 2023. I-M-L-S makes a real difference for Americans every day. In Michigan, I-M-L-S funding supports programs such as MeL and MelCat, which increase access to information for Michiganders and allow our academic libraries to connect students with resources that support their learning.
I urge you to overturn the executive order and continue funding for I-M-L-S in the next fiscal year.
Email Script:
Subject: Protect the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Dear Representative John Moolenaar,
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose the White House's attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency that ensures every community has access to library funding.
Despite libraries (of all types) receiving only 0.003% of the federal budget, libraries provide free, impartial resources that serve everyone. Eliminating IMLS would be a devastating blow to essential community services. A June 2025 poll from the Michigan Library Association of over 800 voters in Michigan shows that 79% of respondents approve of Michigan libraries’ work, up from 71% in 2023. IMLS makes a real difference for Americans every day. In Michigan, IMLS funding supports programs such as MeL and MelCat, which increase access to information for Michiganders and allow our academic libraries to connect students with resources that support their learning.
I oppose any effort to defund IMLS and urge you to use your position in Congress to protect IMLS funding in the next fiscal year. Please protect our libraries at the federal level.
Sincerely.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
Thank you,
MiALA Advocacy Committee
Interest Group Leader Trainings
Are you serving in a MiALA Interest Group leadership role this year? If you are a new or returning IG Leader, the Interest Group Coordination Council would like to invite you to attend one of our Interest Group Training Sessions. These sessions serve as an orientation for IG Chairs (and other leadership roles) to the key aspects of running an IG, communicating with the IGCC, and using the MiALA website to facilitate your interest group activities.
Two identical sessions will be offered via Zoom on:
Wednesday, September 10, 3-4 PM
Thursday, September 11, 10-11 AM
For meeting information, please visit the MiALA Calendar or reach out to IGCC@miala.org. If you cannot attend but would like access to the training recording, or have other questions, please contact edmis2k@cmich.edu. Thank you!
|
