The Membership Committee has been hard at work this year. Their main project has been to create, administer, and analyze surveys of former and current members of MLA. We were able to gain insight into what members found valuable about their membership and what they would like MLA to provide. Based on information received from the survey results, we relayed pertinent suggestions to committee chairs and special officers, gave a presentation at the 2023 annual conference in St. Louis, and wrote up detailed board reports. Here are some of our recommendations:
- Create stronger programs in advocacy for music libraries, music library workers, and people who work with music materials
- Continue to provide services for networking, professional development, and learning opportunities for all members
- Continue efforts for greater inclusion of members to serve in MLA committees and other work for the organization
- Work on fostering a more supportive environment for members in their first ten years with MLA
- Maintain a regular, frequent, and informal mechanism for assessing the temperature of the association, with a focus towards actionable solutions
- Initiate more cross-committee collaborations within MLA
Also based on member input, the Membership Committee created a few resource lists, such as commonly used acronyms (to be made available online soon), mentorship activities, and contacts for music schools outreach. More projects are underway, and we welcome suggestions for improving members’ experience with MLA!
Committee members:
Randye Jones
Karen Olson
Lina Sheahan
Amanda Steadman
Sam Boss, Reduced Registration Coordinator
Terry Lewis, Roommate Clearinghouse Coordinator
Will Scharfenberger, ex officio IDEA Committee
Kristie Nelsen, ex officio Public Libraries Committee
Jason Imbesi, ex officio Membership Management Officer
Melissa Moll, ex officio Assistant Membership Management Officer
Lisa Shiota, chair