Many thanks to the NAHSL Professional Development Committee for the support to attend the MLA 2024 in Portland. It was the first time I was able to attend MLA in person since 2014 in Boston! While virtual conference options are valuable to increase accessibility, especially during the pandemic, it was a refreshing change to physically be there to take advantage of the entire conference experience.
This year, I served as a judge for the MLA Research Caucus and had the opportunity to evaluate two paper presentations. The papers were very interesting, and serving as a judge allowed me to focus on aspects of the presentation I might have otherwise overlooked. Reviewing and using the scoring rubric makes me feel better prepared to submit paper presentations in the future. In addition, I was able to be the presenter for a lightning talk I co-authored with a colleague from Spain, based on our collaborations over the past 18 months. Attending in person allowed me to present the talk, since it was too far for my co-author to travel.
I was recently elected the Chair Elect for the MLA International Cooperation Caucus (ICC), and the conference offered some great opportunities to connect with caucus members. I enjoyed joining the ICC table during the Communities Lunch and discussing plans for the year ahead. I also had the opportunity to have a meal on Saturday evening with the 2024 Cunningham Fellow scholar, Dominic Dankwah Agyel from Ghana. It was a lively conversation about shared challenges and opportunities across the globe. The International Visitors reception provided additional opportunities to connect with ICC members and attendees from abroad.
The little moments of conversation with other attendees during immersion sessions, before and after papers/lightning talks, in the hallways, and during the receptions always filled my cup. I came home with a long list of posters to review again once I returned to my office and have identified some projects and ideas that we can put to use at my institution.
Alice Stokes, MLIS, AHIP (she/her)
Research and Instruction Librarian
Dana Health Sciences Library
University of Vermont
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