1. Annual Report to Membership October 2009

2. The mission of the Maine Library Association is to promote and enhance the value of Maine libraries and librarianship to foster cooperation among those who work in and for Maine libraries, and to provide leadership in ensuring that information is accessible to all citizens from their libraries. Objectives…Advocates for Maine libraries and encourages their growth and developmentProvides opportunities for continuing education, workshops, or conferences of membersProvides tools and mechanisms for members to exchange ideas and meetServes as a source of information about trends and issuesWorks in partnership with organizations and library groups that also serve our membershipEncourages and fosters a spirit of cooperation among all who work in libraries Mission Statement & Objectives

3. When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree." – Vietnamese Proverb I love that quote. I have placed it in a couple of places on the library website to acknowledge the generosity of those who support the library, but the words and meaning of the quote carry over in other areas of my life, both personal and professional. My term as the president of the Maine Library Association will end on June 30. As this date approaches, it is a natural time of reflection. Recently, I was talking with a community member I had worked with on a major event and we were reflecting on the experience of working in groups and the joys and frustrations of that kind of work. She shared these memorable words with me: “Molly, you have to love the process.” I thought about that for a long time. Sometimes it can be frustrating working in groups when you want things to move along faster or things might not go exactly as you planned, or when there is disagreement on “how” something should be done. At other times, it can be the most rewarding undertaking imaginable. I am learning that it isn’t always about the end result but how we got there, what we learned along the way, and the people who shared in the experience. I am so grateful to everyone on the MLA Board (past and current members) for their support during the last couple of years. I have learned from each of you. I have chosen not to acknowledge individuals for fear of leaving someone out but you know who you are. Maybe you were a member of one of the various committees that helped with nominations, membership, or the bylaws. Perhaps you played a part in the Maine Libraries Conference 2008, or maybe you took a call from me and helped with some problem-solving. Maybe you were a sounding board, or helped me field a question from the media. I know this much is true: nothing would get done without the wisdom, generosity, and dedication of my colleagues in the Maine Library Association. It is an interesting and challenging time to work in libraries. On one hand, we’re experiencing a sort of renaissance of appreciation from our communities and in the media, and on the other hand, we’re facing serious economic challenges that hinder us from providing needed services due to budget cuts, decreased giving, and loss of endowments. If you are wondering what you can do in these challenging times, I can tell you that now is a great time to get involved in your professional organization. There are many levels of commitment and I bet you will be able to find something that suits you and your schedule and skill set. I recommend you start with membership on a committee to get to know how the organization works and the people involved. After gaining some experience, consider trying for a leadership role. We need your skills, ideas, insight, enthusiasm, and passion for the profession. Working for the organization has been a great experience and it is in these moments of reflection I think about the people “who planted the tree.” I am deeply grateful for their contributions. ~Molly Larson is Director of Rockport public Library and the outgoing MLA President. Letter from Molly Larson, Immediate Past President

4. Agenda Annual Business Meeting MLA October 30, 2009 3:15pm to 4:15pm Augusta Civic Center 76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine Call to Order & Welcome II. Consent Agenda III. Introductions of MLA Council & Special Guests IV. Approval of Minutes from 2008 Annual Meeting (Lisa Shaw) V. Treasurer’s Report (AlisiaRevitt) VI. Reports A. Scholarship & Loan (Betsy Paradis) B. Communications Committee (Lisa Neal-Shaw C. Young Adult Services (Kate McGowan-Wing) D. ALA Councilor/Intellectual Freedom (Jim Campbell) E. Legislative Chair (Mamie Ney) F. NELA Representative (Diane Nadeau) G. Conference Committee Chair (Nissa Flanagan) VI. Old Business VIII. New Business A. MLA Bylaws Proposed Changes (Action Item) B. Looking Ahead to 2010 IX. Adjournment **Immediately following the Business Meeting, there will be a meeting of the 2010 Conference Committee Members.

6. 2009 Conference with 257 members at Sunday River

7. Countless updates and improvements to MLA Website

8. Resolution honoring Judith Krug delivered to her family at to ALA Annual

9. Created blogs, socially networked with Facebook, Twitter, ALAconnect, Goodreads, GoToMeeting, and others

10. Participated in Legislative matters such as Patriot’s Act, Tabor II, Excise Tax,

11. Collaborated with NELA and other library associations and literacy groups throughout the state

12. Increased Twitter followers to 783 and sent 184 “tweets” related to librarianship

13. Council members visited libraries throughout State

14. ALA Councilor—Friends of Libraries Week, Intellectual Freedom, distributed news about Federal Research Public Access, Intergenerational Day, and reported on all Resolutions from ALA

15. Met monthly and also created a means to meet electronically

16. Created coffee sleeves, t-shirts, bookmarks, and new brochures

17. Published four MLAtoZ Newsletters

18. Gave scholarships and awards

19. Sent officers to Annual Conferences

20. Created booth for Literacy Volunteers of Maine at the Vicki Myron Event

21. Fundraising

22. Created new committees such as Web 2.0, Green Building, Strategic Planning, and Bylaws to address relevant issues and to strengthen our Association’s guiding documents

23. MLA Salary study updated for members

24. Held retreat/meeting to discuss future of MLA and President met with MASL to discuss how to work together better in the future

25. Officers from MLA and MASL met with incoming Maine Cohort students to welcome them.

27. Hired Crowdspring.com and received 48 entries for new logo from artists all over the world

28. Letters written to newspapers on behalf of legislative matters, issues facing libraries, or just to raise awareness

29. Countless emails and phone calls answered from members needing help

30. New Website plans underdevelopment

31. Article accepted by Information Today by Secretary and President on Gaming and Libraries

32. President created and presented four presentations about various topics to help promote what librarians are doing statewide and globally

33. Awarded Outstanding Librarian

34. Appointed Legislative Chair to address Tabor II and Excise Tax Issues

35. Helped coordinate Lupine Award for this year

36. MLA Council and business manager responded to listserv queries

37. New Online Store through Cafepress and continued to sell “book” jewelry

38. Appointed Conference Chair and started plans for 2010 MLA Conference designed with your needs in mind

39. Revived interest groups and also held some difficult discussions about interest groups and their relevance to Maine librarians

40. Thoroughly reviewed and revised Bylaws for relevance and to better meet the needs of the Association

41. Kil-A-Watt partnership and distribution

42. Membership letters and renewals rewritten and sent to membership

44. Updated Website incorporating new logo

45. Greater engagement of the membership

46. A 2011 MLC Conference

47. Coalition building for greater advocacy

48. Greater partnerships & collaborations

49. Building our community to 1,000 members by 2011

50. Leadership opportunities for our members

51. A greater voice in rural sustainability and what that means to Maine Librarians