*[image: Inline image 1]* *Michigan Library Association's 2016 Spring Institute for Youth and Teen Librarians *is less than a month away and this year's event promises to provide unique ideas, opportunities for connecting with colleagues and renewed enthusiasm for your profession. We have an AMAZING line-up for Thursday, April 14th and Friday, April 15th: *Jason Reynolds* <http://iamjasonreynolds.com/>, author of *When I Was the Greatest*, *Boy in the Black Suit*, and *All American Boys*, and winner of the inaugural 2016 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, a Coretta Scott King Award, and John Steptoe Award for New Talent. *Lori Nichols* <http://www.lorinichols.com/>, author of Mitten Award Winner *Maple, Maple & Willow Together, *and *Maple & Willow Apart.* Her illustrations can also be seen in: *This Orq. (he cave boy.), *and *This Orq. (he say ugh.)* by David Elliott; as well as *No, No, Kitten!* by Shelley Moore Thomas. *Jonathan Auxier* <http://www.thescop.com/> is the author of YouPer Award Winner *The **Night Gardener*, *Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes,* and, coming April 4th, *Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard*. In addition to these awesome authors, we have brought *INSTANT RECESS* <http://www.instantrecess.com/>*®* <http://www.instantrecess.com/> <http://www.instantrecess.com/>to Michigan for the first time. This is a high energy, interactive session where you’ll learn how to increase alertness and engagement and decrease the harmful effects of prolonged sitting. You'll gain the skills and resources to lead your own ten minute Instant Recess® breaks at your library! We will also have Join Katy Held to teach us about *Brain Gym <http://www.braingym.org/>, *an easy-to-learn and easy-to-share way to be more productive and engage your brain in a new way! *BRAND NEW: Cool Things My Library Does Reception* This quick engaging networking event will give you an opportunity to check out fourteen innovative and unique ideas from libraries across the state. Come discover fun new programs, displays and collection ideas that just might spark some ideas for your library! An Ice Cream Sundae Bar from the MSU Dairy* (YUM!)* will be featured and a cash bar will be available as well. This Year's *Frances H. Pletz Award for Excellence in Service to Youth *winner will be announced during SI and we'll have 15 breakout sessions, 16 vendors, book signings, two continental breakfasts, two lunches, dine around opportunities and networking activities to round out the two-day event. Click here <http://www.milibraries.org/prof-development-networking/spring-institute/sessions/>to see a schedule with program descriptions. Registration <http://members.mla.lib.mi.us/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/events/register.html?Action=Register&ConfID_W=165> <http://members.mla.lib.mi.us/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/events/register.html?Action=Register&ConfID_W=165>is open. Two-day, one-day and student pricing options are available. Early bird discounts ends *Thursday, March 31*. Questions? Please contact MLA at (517) 394-2774 ext. 223 for assistance. Jocelyn (Baldwin) Levin, MLIS ​MLA ​​ Spring Institute ​2016 ​ Chair​ ​person​ jmb.mlis@gmail.com