Check MO INFO, below, or view candidate images and statements online!
Remember: Online voting will be open during the month of August. Current MLA members will receive an invitation to vote by email, around August 1, unless you have requested a paper ballot. For additional information about the voting process and how to make sure your membership is current, see the first page of the July 2015 MO INFO.
Congratulations to Dr. Jerome Offord, who is the first president of the new Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC)!
Dr. Offord is University Librarian, Head of the Department of Library Science, and Assistant Professor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
JCLC Inc.’s official purpose statement is: “To promote librarianship within communities of color, support literacy and the preservation of history and cultural heritage, collaborate on common issues, and to host the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color every four to five years.”
For more about JCLC and its member organizations, see the ALA’s press release.
This year, we invite to submit your best and brightest proposals for “Libraries Without Borders”, the 2015 Joint KLA/MLA Conference! Even if your library is doing something that may not seem great to you, it could be something new and different for another library. The conference will be hosted at the Kansas City Convention Center from September 30th-October 2nd, and we want you to shine! Submit your proposal here: http://goo.gl/forms/YHuuU5VODF. Be sure to let us know if you would like your presentation to be part of our virtual component!
The Missouri Building Block Committee is happy to announce that the winner of the 2014 Missouri Building Block Award is Mustache Baby written by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Joy Ang.
More than 17,000 children in the state of Missouri voted this year. Mustache Baby captured over 27% of the voting. Moo by David LaRochelle and Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka came in second followed closely in third place by Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli.
The Missouri Building Block Committee thanks all the teachers, librarians, parents, and caregivers who took the time to read these stories and ask children for their votes. Please continue to spread the word and participate this year!
For the 2015 nominees (and by the end of February, activity sheets), see the Building Block Award page.
The deadline for the Thusnalda Schmidt Scholarship has been extended to February 7 – youth services librarians and those who know and love them, take note!
MLA members in good standing who are employed in a youth services position are eligible to apply for the Thusnelda Schmidt Scholarship, to help pay travel expenses for attending a conference.
Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2015. See the page linked above for more information.
See the Awards menu for additional MLA awards and scholarships.
What have Missouri libraries been doing to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War?
How many people attended the MLA conference and what next year’s conference theme will be. Hint: It is NOT “Border Wars.”
What is the Bookmark Blitz and what does it have to do with historic Missouri newspapers?
Upcoming online training sessions and special database deals from Amigos
How the Mid-America Library Alliance can score you some free tickets
Schools giving old saws to first graders for projects = not as cool as Skyping with astronauts
Census Bureau Research Data Center coming to Mizzou
Your homework Tech Expo proposal…is due December 8
Want to find out all this and more? We thought so. Here’s MO INFO.
One correction, which has been noted in MO INFO itself:
MO INFO CORRECTION
Due to technical difficulties, the bylaw vote has been postponed until Friday, November 21st. It will be open from Nov. 21 – Dec. 19. If you requested a paper ballot, you will receive it in the mail this week. All others will receive a link to the ballot on the 21st and may vote anytime during that four week period.
By all reports, the 2014 conference was very productive, exciting, inspiring and enjoyable. Thanks to all who participated, especially Conference Chairs Lauren Williams and Angela Scott! See the 2014 Presentations page for links to conference presentations.