Thank you Prairelands for helping me go to MLA in a way that is more affordable to my libraries. This year’s conference took place at a new venue, Mystic Lake Convention Center in Prior Lake, and I was pleased with the venue and the amazing food.
There are two sessions that stand out to me. The first was “Express Yourself! Understanding the Legal and Practical Limits of Patron and Librarian Conduct on Social Media Platforms.” This session helped fill in some of the gaps that I have in my MLIS education and understanding the rights library staff have as both public employees and private citizens. The second was “We Haven’t Broken the Library: Challenging Perceptions and Creating Access Through Eliminating Late Fines.” This was an incredibly practical session on how to go fine free and how doing so promotes both equity and access, two philosophical cornerstones of public libraries