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Board Transparency: New and Improved

As MLA’s annual meeting and the accompanying MLA Board meeting approach, you may notice a few changes in how we’re sharing board information. These changes are part of the push toward transparency and member engagement that you’ve seen in MLA’s communication about the proposed bylaws amendments, as well as in the bylaws changes themselves. 

The MLA Board typically meets four times a year, in person at the annual meeting in May and in Chicago November, and virtually in August and February (although my fellow board members can attest that it is far from a four-meetings-a-year gig). In February 2016, the board revised a policy to make draft agendas for board meetings available to members at least one week prior to each meeting, and board minutes (excluding “executive sessions”) available once they are ratified. 

The draft agenda for the May 12, 13, and 18 board meeting is now online. You can view it by looking under “Upcoming Events” on the MLA home page or going directly to the calendar entry (you must be logged in to view). You can now also view the board minutes online. Minutes are generally ratified at the next meeting of the board, and you can expect to see them posted shortly after the next board meeting takes place—for instance, the board minutes for the February meeting will be posted shortly after Mosaic ’16. You’ll also continue to see the shorter, less formal “Board Highlights” in the MLA News, which gives a quick summary of each board meeting in bullet point format (see MLA Board Highlights: February 2016). 

You can also keep up with changes and decisions made by the board by reading the Full Speed Ahead blog and by attending the MLA Update during chapter meetings. Contacting board members is also easy (emails are listed in the directory when you are logged in). We encourage you to attend the Open Forums and to talk to us during Mosaic ’16. 

We hope you’ll find these changes useful in understanding what’s going on with the MLA Board! Please reach out to MLA Board members at any time with questions or comments—we’re always happy to hear from you.

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