Serge has been the librarian at Divine Child High School in Dearborn since 2007 when he and his wife moved to Michigan from Texas. Prior to serving at DCHS, Serge worked for the Kansas City Public Library where he served as a branch librarian, Saint Paul School of Theology where he was Public Services librarian, and Cy-Fair College (now LoneStar College Cy-Fair Campus) where he was a reference librarian and coordinated English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education free classes for the public. Serge earned his MA in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona in 2000. Before entering the library profession, Serge was a foreign language teacher at Rutgers Prep in New Jersey and a fifth grade teacher at Lourdes Catholic in Arizona. Serge participated in the most recent MLA Leadership Academy and is the vice-president/president elect of the Michigan Chapter of the Catholic Library Association. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2002 Missouri Library Association Outstanding Young Librarian Award for his work with adjudicated youth, and the 2009 MCCLA St. Jerome Award for contributions to librarianship. Serge is a member of two honorary societies, Beta Phi Mu and Pi Lambda Theta.

Loud Librarian: Defining Ourselves and Our Profession

November 7-9, 2012 in Dearborn Michigan.

CALL FOR  PROGRAM PROPOSALS

Submissions welcome through March 1, 2012

During the 2012 Annual Conference, our primary programming and networking event, the theme of LOUD LIBRARIAN: Defining Ourselves and our Profession will be at the forefront of our learning experiences.   Our aim is to teach library professionals how to articulate our mission and adapt our message of value to different audiences.  We hope you will consider being a part of the conversation and advocate for the role that librarians play in our ever-changing society. If you wish to submit a program proposal for the 2012 Annual Conference, please read the guidelines and fill out the form located HERE.

The Michigan Library Association is seeking nominations for the Twentieth Annual Michigan Author Award. The award recognizes an outstanding published body of literary work by an author who is either from Michigan or has substantial ties to Michigan.

Nominations are due February 29, 2012. 

See the Criteria.

Download the Nomination Form.

MLA President, Richard Cochran and  Past Presidents Christine Berro and Larry Neal   participated in a press conference, September 8, 2001, calling for full replacement of the personal property tax if it is eliminated.  "Without guaranteed replacement of the personal property tax, local libraries will be forced to close, eliminate branches, reduce hours, or severely cut computer access and programming for children, teens, adults, senior citizens and business entrepreneurs.  The personal property tax must be fully replaced, " said Christine Berro, Director, Portage District Library, as she spoke to the press.

While citizen demand for library services soars in a down economy, libraries would be forced to close branches, cut hours or reduce services and programming if the personal property tax is eliminated without guaranteed full replacement.  Over 57 million people visited Michigan's public libraries in 2009-10 and over 14 million people used library computers.  Library visits increased 9% and demand for programming increased 14% from 2008-09 to 2009-10.  Every source of library funding has been cut in the last decade and this would be the final blow.  PPT makes up on average 11% of a public library's revenues.  Read a complete fact sheet about  the impact of these cuts to library services in Michigan. 

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