MLA 2024 Annual Conference 

Welcome to the Michigan Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference! This year’s conference theme, Press Play, encourages you to develop professionally, while also taking the time to enjoy the beautiful “destination” of Traverse City. It is an opportunity to enjoy the company of your peers hailing libraries from across Michigan. There are also a number of new, first-time presenters holding breakout sessions—which is very exciting!

It was essential for there to be breakout sessions relevant for, and interesting to, library workers of all kinds, including library trustees and advocates. Each session has one of three goals: Fast Forward to the Future of Libraries, Rewind and Reflect on the Foundations of the Profession, and Pause for Wellness and Self‑Care. We’re paying homage to the past, taking a breath to appreciate the present and embracing the unknowns of the future.

If this is your first time at an MLA Annual Conference, please consider joining me on Wednesday morning for our New Attendee Welcome Breakfast. This will help you own your experience this week, as there are countless ways to personalize it. You will meet conference workgroup members, get some tips on using the app, and hear the latest news from several partner organizations. We are concluding this Annual Conference with a New Attendee Wrap Up on Friday morning. While it’s all fresh in your mind, you will be able to reflect on what you appreciated most about the Annual Conference and inform us as to what we can improve on for 2025. I’m looking forward to meeting you there!

Wesleyann Johnson, 2024 Conference Chair