It is a time of 'Congratulations'!!!

MAME 41 was a successful, energizing, and inspiring conference!  Congratulations and THANK YOU to Conference Chair, Gwenn Marchesano and the entire conference committee!  Thank you also to keynote speakers Susan Ballard and John Sowash; to author breakfast speaker, Marc Aronson; to membership meeting speaker Randy Riley; to featured booktalkers Lynn Rutan, Cindy Dobrez, and Travis Jonker; to the local authors; to session speakers; to exhibitors; and to volunteers including the retiree SIG - MAME4Ever whose support was invaluable during the conference.

Attendees, if you have not already, please give us some feedback on the conference using our online survey at: bit.ly/mame41conf.

Congratulations also to our MAME Awardees for 2014!!  The announcement of the awards were made at the President's Gala and Award Ceremony on Thursday evening of the conference.  Congratulations to:

• School Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award - Erica Trowbridge, Oakridge MS and HS

• Community Collaboration Award - David Ross, Community Librarian, Monroe County Library System

• District Library Director of the Year - Barbara Clark, Birmingham Schools

• Margaret Grazier Award for Contribution to the Profession - Dr. Margaret Lincoln, Lakeview High School

• President's Award - Ric Wiltse, MACUL Executive Director Emeritus

• President's Award - Karren Reish, Library of Michigan

• ISTE Making IT Happen Award - Shannon Clark, Marshal High School

Congratulations to the elected MAME Executive Board Members!!  The results from our election are in and congrats to:

• President-Elect - Lisa Brakel, Airport Community Schools

• VP of Continuing Education - Julie Harris, Rochester Community Schools

• Secretary - Jeanna Walker, Portage Schools

The new Board positions will go into effect on January 1st.

Finally, it is very encouraging that the State Board of Education has passed a resolution supporting school libraries staffed by certified personnel.  Please read more about that and advocacy efforts in the column LMS Get Loud! in this newsletter.

All my best,

Kathy Lester, MAME President, 2014

klester1@comcast.net 

kathyL@mimame.org 

Another MAME annual conference is in the books and as usual was a huge success. A huge thank you goes out to the Conference Committee for all of the time, energy, and work you all dedicated to the conference. Your efforts brought together an engaging and intriguing conference. Thank you to all of the pre-conference and conference presenters for their outstanding sessions. We all walked away with at least one new idea we can implement in our own professional life. Thank you to both Susan Ballard and John Sowash for the inspiring start and finish to our conference. Finally, thank you to each and every person who attended the conference! 

Thank you to the regions and individuals that generously donated 18 items and baskets to the MAME silent auction, which was held throughout the conference and culminated at the President's Reception and Awards Gala on Thursday night during the conference. Thanks to their gifts, MAME raised over $700, and the attendees had an opportunity to purchase some beautiful and useful items for their libraries as well as themselves. Much gratitude for helping MAME continue this fun and beneficial tradition!
 

The positive feedback we have already heard from the conference is exciting and makes all of the hard work worth it!

Remember to complete the MAME 41 Pre-Conference and Conference evaluations, if you haven't done so already. Your input helps plan for next year!

How do we know when we are acting as professional selectors or - perhaps  - when we are self-imposed censors?  

What to do when faced with whether or not to purchase that highly-rated but potentially troublesome nonfiction title?  Or that fiction book with its one scandalous scene?   Is this selection or censorship?

Lester Asheim put it best in a 1952 article in Wilson Library Journal when he said, "Selectors look for the positive when choosing acquisitions, whereas censors look for the negative."  He went on to say, "The selector seeks reasons to include material in the collection; the censor seeks reasons to exclude material." (my emphasis)

 It is our responsibility, as school librarians, to provide a diverse, balanced, and high-quality collection representing all points of view -including, at times, controversial ones.  We must balance the student's right to know (and if they don't learn it in a school library, where?) with our roles in loco parentis (in place of parents, as guardians for this student's safety).  When considering the balance, let's accentuate the positive.

If you need support or guidance regarding a Challenge, contact the  ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, oif@ala.org or Martha Spear directly @ mspear@berkleyschools.org.

Martha J. Spear 

mspear@berkleyschools.org 

"I really enjoyed the conference.  What a great time to learn, problem solve and catch up with friends.  After listening to Susan Ballard, here are my takeaways:

 

• Attend the annual conference for FREE!
• Get rid of your "library/school" stuff at our auction at the conference
• Help support MAME
• Start each school year with a fantastic get-a-way

Many of you may have lost your library or become overwhelmed in your position, but knowing you have this wonderful group of friends is such a blessing. We also go into libraries to volunteer with special projects, if a request is made.