Senior Member, Distinguished Member, and Emeritus Member. Each level is based on earning points for professional activities and a series of professional competencies, which can be found online. Governance and structure MLA is governed by a board of directors. The president, president-elect, immediate past president, seven directors elected by the membership at large, and chairs of the Chapter and Section councils serve as voting members of the board of directors. The president serves as chair of the board of directors and does not vote except to make or to break a tie. The executive director serves as a nonvoting member of the board of directors. Chapters Fourteen geographic groups within the United States are currently affiliated with MLA. These chapters provide a vital link to the programs and services of the association; they are open to bot MLA members and non-members. Sections Twenty-three MLA sections represent the varied subfields and areas of specialization of the association's membership. Sections meet at the Annual Meeting and share information during the year through email list communication, informal networking, and newsletters. Sections sponsor contributed and invited paper sessions at the Annual Meeting. Examples of MLA Sections include: Cancer Libraries, Consumer and Public Health Information, Hospital Libraries, Medical Informatics, Nursing and Allied Health Resources, Public Health/Health Administration, Research, and Veterinary Medical Libraries. Special interest groups According to the MLA Section Council's Special Interest Group Manual, "MLA Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide a forum for members with unique interests to identify and meet with others with similar interests without having to fulfill the governance requirements of Sections. SIGs are generally created as less formal and more flexible organizational units, with the advantages of fewer reporting and no minimum membership requirements." Committees, juries, panels and task forces MLA depends on members with a wide range of skills and expertise to serve on its committees. Committees have varied roles in the association. The word committee includes committees required by the bylaws, committees of the Board of Directors, standing committees, subcommittees, ad hoc committees, juries, panels, and task forces. A description of these various committees is provided below: Standing committees are continuing committees with ongoing responsibility for furthering the Medical Library Association's interests, programs, and projects. The Executive and Nominating Committees are mandated by the bylaws. Juries are constituted for the purpose of recommending recipients of awards, prizes, grants, and scholarships. Panels are appointed to serve as peer-review and