Welcome to the Michigan Library Association

Michigan is home to 17 “school public” libraries, some very unique year-round libraries that face the challenge of doing it all for their vast constituencies.  Munising School Public Library (MSPL) is one and this week is in transition from “school” to “public” for summer 2013.  

MSPL (housed in the Munising Middle/High School) serves all of Alger County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Constituents include local 7-12 students (grades 6-12 next year, when sixth graders move to the Middle/High School), all public and parochial schools in the county, 9,300 county residents and any Upper Peninsula Michigan vacationers who stop in for directions, advice or internet access. There is a small branch of MSPL in the pre-kindergarten-sixth grade school.

Asante Cain

President-Elect, Michigan Library Association

Reference & Adult Services Coordinator, Grand Rapids Public Library

Congratulations to Asante Cain, who was voted in as president-elect of the Michigan Library Association (MLA) for 2013-2014. Asante is originally from Lansing, MI and worked at the Capital Area District Library (CADL) in Reference and Web Services after obtaining his M.L.I.S. from Florida State University in 1999. While at CADL in 2000, he worked on the team that developed their first library website. He has worked at the Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) for 12 years and is currently the Reference and Adult Services Coordinator.

Asante has to be one of the most positive role models in Michigan libraries. Anyone who receives an email from him will notice his signature tagline: “Make it an Outstanding Day!” He believes everyone has the opportunity to create positive acts for themselves and others every minute of every day. What is an ideal setting to make positive things happen? A library, of course.

Constructed in 2006, the Grace Hauenstein Library serves the 2100 students of Aquinas College by providing access to 180,000 print and electronic titles in the library’s collection and over 95 periodical index and other databases. Besides circulating the usual assortment of materials, the library also loans out laptops, Kindles, Nooks, Wiis,  iPods and iPads. The library was the location of a recently filmed “Harlem Shake” video made by Aquinas students.

In addition, librarians teach a one-credit required course (Beyond Google: College Resources and Research Skills) instructing students in research methods and search strategies using both traditional and electronic resources.

Joy Cichewicz, Manager, Michigan Avenue branch

Ypsilanti District Library

Joy has been a librarian for sixteen years, serving many different communities in many different capacities. Before becoming a librarian she worked at the Canton District Library as a page, Eastern Michigan University library as a student helper with the catalog conversion, and at the Fred C. Fischer Library in Belleville as a library and circulation aid, where she linked materials and assisted with youth programming. Her first job out of library school was a brief stint at the UAW-Technical Training Center Library where she ran a small library for skilled trades. Following that, she worked for three years at the University of Michigan Undergrad and Social Work Libraries where she carried a heavy load of bibliographic instruction. Going back to her love of public libraries, she moved on to the Brighton District Library where she was the Head of Automation, making technology decisions, designing and maintaining their award-winning website, and conducting popular training sessions for staff and the public. She is currently a board member of the Belleville Area District Library and manages the downtown location of the Ypsilanti District Library, which is a very busy facility serving a diverse population. She has done almost every job that a library has to offer!

MLA is actively lobbying to oppose HB 5598 (Zorn) and SB 1330 (Jones) which would allow counties to adopt parallel ordinances. We are in close contact with Representative Zorn’s office and Representative Ouimet, who is the Chair of the House Local, Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs Committee. Yesterday GCSI and I met with Senator Jones who introduced the Senate companion. He was unaware that if adopted, this bill would divert penal fines from libraries to fund Deputy Sherriffs. MLA has mapped out a campaign to respond if the legislation starts to move.

What can you do today? Please review the 2010 listing of penal fines by library. Note the percent of your operating budget that is dependent on penal fines and educate your Board of Trustees about the importance of penal fines to your local services. Be prepared to respond if MLA issues a call to action.