Chair, Michigan Author Award Work Group, 2013-2014
As chair of this award work group, I worked with MLA executive staff to change the requirements for this award. In the past, self-publication was not considered published works, so authors who exclusively self-published were ineligible for consideration. Since it has become so much easier for authors to self-publish and because many authors are dissatisfied with the demands of traditional publishers, more authors are turning to self-publication. I was able to get this rule changed so that the work group could consider authors who self-publish, as long as their works are available in Michigan libraries. In addition, there was a requirement that the winning author must be present at the MLA Annual Conference Luncheon in order to win. I worked with MLA staff to change this because I did not think that this stipulation leaves a good impression of MLA on our authors. I would think very negatively about a group if they offered me an award and then revoked it because I could not attend a luncheon.
Additionally, I worked with the other committee members and MLA staff to ensure that this award was well publicized on appropriate listservs and social media sites to entice more nominations. This year, we received 15 nominations, as opposed to 4 the previous year.
Committee member, Michigan Author Award Work Group, 2012-2013
As a member of this committee, I helped solicit nominations, read the works of nominees, discussed the bodies of work of the nominees in order to select a recipient for the Michigan Author Award.