MLA membership and PLA registration

Just a quick reminder that there's still time for MLA members to take advantage of the January 18 early bird registration deadline for the 2008 Public Library Association Conference, which will be held in Minneapolis on March 25-29. Visit http://www.placonference.org to register.

Remember, one of the perks of being an MLA member perk is the discounted registration fee!
In addition, be sure to sign up for our Guys Read: Make Noise with Boys Book Discussions preconference on Tuesday, March 25th, which will feature author Jon Sciescka. The MLA Board and I are delighted that Scieszka was recently appointed by Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, as the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-001.html This position was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

It's a coup for MLA that one of Scieszka's first national appearances after receiving this honor will be at our preconference!

In addition to Scieszka and the other outstanding presenters, there are some surprises in store for preconference attendees. You'll receive a variety of Guys Read-related gifts and enjoy refreshments courtesy of Capstone Press http://www.capstonepress.com/ and Stone Arch Book .http://www.stonearchbooks.com/

In addition, MLA will receive 100% of the registration fees from this preconference and will incur no expenses. So, this is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to benefit! You'll have an excellent professional development opportunity that will also benefit our association. I hope to see you there!