SLIS student and former ALA@Wayne chapter president Laura Manley attended the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, this summer using the SLIS Travel Award. Manley participated in many activities in various capacities including attendee, volunteer and committee member.

Manley and her colleague Christine Malmsten were selected to present a project in the 2011 ALA Conference Poster Presentations. They collaborated to develop and implement a marketing project titled "You've Got It, Flaunt It! Marketing Your Academic Library with WordPress." Their project involved utilizing WordPress, an open source blogging and online publishing platform, to market the Marygrove College Library to its students while gathering feedback from students about library services. Manley and Malmsten presented information about their project to ALA exhibit attendees perusing the Poster Presentations during their hour-and-a-half session.

Manley also devoted much time and energy to serving on ALA committees. During the New Members Round Table meeting, Laura was appointed to the NMRT's Orientations and Marshall Cavendish/Banquet Award committees for the 2011/2012 year.

Manley will graduate from SLIS this August, but she intends to stay actively involved with ALA. "I had such a positive experience that I have already started brainstorming ideas to submit to next year's review committee," she said. "It is my goal to eventually work up to presenting a workshop at ALA." Congratulations to Laura on her accomplishments at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference.