MCL is able to provide a level of funding support for some conferences. These funds typically pay for travel costs and some or all of the registration. In order to receive this funding support, employees need to follow the application/registration guidelines outlined below. If there's a conference you would like to attend that is not covered here, contact Learning + Organizational Development and your manager. Some conferences are budgeted at the divisional level and other conferences may not be up on this page yet.

Read the HR Connection email newsletter each week for the most up to date information on how to attend specific conferences. Contact Learning + Organizational Development with any questions.

NOTE: Employees who have not completed their trial service period or who are currently in any form of disciplinary process may not be approved for paid, external training opportunities. Manager and HR input will be requested for all employees prior to being approved for the training or conference

Conference funding criteria

ALA (both the annual conference and LibLearnX): Staff who are ALA members and who are obligated to attend the conference because of an ALA-specific commitment, or staff who have been approved to present at the conference will be funded to attend.

PLA bi-annual conference: This is an open conference for any interested staff. Priority funding assistance will be provided to employees who have a PLA obligation where conference attendance is mandatory, those who are approved to present at the conference, and those staff who have not attended previously.

OLA (both annual and support-staff division conferences): This is an open conference for any interested staff. Priority funding assistance will be provided to employees who have an OLA obligation where conference attendance is mandatory, those who are approved to present at the conference, and those staff who have not attended previously.

Culturally-specific conferences: Each year, MCL identifies library-related conferences that represent good opportunities for staff professional development. These may include the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, REFORMA, and others. 

Conference Commitments

If you have a commitment that requires you to attend a conference (for example: serving on a conference committee or presenting), you must complete the professional organization commitment form(link is external). Filling this out helps Learning and Organizational Development appropriately plan for conference expenses.

Fill out the form as soon as you are aware of your commitment to attend. Approval from your supervisor is needed before you make a commitment requiring you to attend a conference.

Learn what you need to do in order to present at a conference on the "how to present at a conference" commons page.