The third annual ALA Leadership Institute winds up this afternoon. Nearly 40 mid-career librarians were selected to participate in the event, held at Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca, Illinois this week. Led by ALA past president Maureen Sullivan and Association of College and Research Libraries content strategist Kathryn Deiss, the four-day immersive leadership institute included a structured learning track and opportunity for individual development.
Each year, a committee (which includes Library Leadership and Management Association leaders but not Sullivan or Deiss) reviews applications to choose a diverse mix of participants based on type of library (public, academic, school, special, etc.), organizational responsibility, geography, gender, and race/ethnicity. About twice as many librarians apply as are selected, according to Sullivan. This selective process is based on demonstrated leadership potential, professional achievement, and community or campus involvement.
Everyone in the 2014 institute class gave it the highest positive rating in a post-institute survey.
Rayburne “Ray” J. Turner, assistant branch manager/reference services manager of Otranto Road Regional Branch-Charleston County (South Carolina) Public Library, said, “The ALA Leadership Institute was the best professional development training that I have ever participated in 27 years of working in a professional setting. It has and will continue to guide me in my career in librarianship.”
Applications for next year’s institute will open in March.
