MLA ‘18 Presidential Inaugural Address Recap

By Melanie Allen, MSIS, AHIP, University of Tennessee, Knoxville - John C. Hodges Library

During MLA ‘18, I was fortunate to be able to attend the inaugural address of MLA’s Incoming President Beverly Murphy, AHIP, FMLA on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Her talk was entitled “If Chef Ramsey was coming to your house, what would you cook?”, and it opened with a musical prelude of Stevie Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of My Life” (to which I sang along with many others!)

Beverly began her talk by sitting at a table on the stage to have a conversation with attendees, and she expressed that she is “proud and honored” to be serving as MLA’s first African American President. She is a member of MLA’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter, and currently serves as board liaison to the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She stated that diversity “drives excellence and makes us smarter”, and that our profession has not caught up with diversity that is reflected in society. The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force is working to increase diversity within MLA, and it held an open discussion with MLA ‘18 attendees on Sunday, May 20.

Beverly also encouraged MLA members to participate in mentorship opportunities through MLA’s Colleague Connection and Mentoring/Expertise Directory, and she emphasized that mentorship is an important part of recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. She also touched on how MLA’s communities are changing and being reviewed by groups like the Communities Strategic Goal Task Force to ensure that MLA is meeting the needs of its members. Beverly also encouraged us to remain open, flexible and positive throughout the changes that will occur within MLA over the next year.

Her personal message to MLA members centers around having open hearts and open minds. Beverly’s open heart surrounds her love of librarianship, and she celebrates diversity and meeting those that she doesn’t already know. Her open mind has evolved over the 20+ years that Beverly has spent in the profession, and she feels that “where the heart goes, the mind will follow.” Beverly also introduced us to Cardiana, a heart-shaped pillow that she carries to collect ideas that MLA members would like to share with her.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Beverly at the annual dinner for the African American Medical Library Alliance Special Interest Group (SIG), and I am eager to see how MLA thrives under her leadership during the upcoming year. To learn more about Beverly’s talk and other MLA ‘18 perspectives, please visit the MLA ‘18 Annual Meeting Blog and check out Nisha Moody’s ACRLog post on “Amping Up Diversity & Inclusivity in Medical Librarianship”.