The article presents information on the structure, content, goals and future of the Emerging Leaders program of the American Library Association (ALA). Library professionals are expected to participate in a year-long program that will build their burgeoning professional skills and help them to become more involved with the association. Participants of the programs are instructed in leadership, distance collaboration and the general structure of the ALA. The program is intended to have positive results for both participating librarians and the professional at large

Renfro, Crystal

Steiner, Sarah King

English

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

Georgia State UniversityScholarWorks @ Georgia State UniversityUniversity Library Faculty Publications Georgia State University LibraryWinter 2009Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders Program: HowGLA Can Help You Get InvolvedSarah King SteinerGeorgia State University, ssteiner@gsu.eduCrystal RenfroFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/univ_lib_facpubPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Georgia State University Library at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in University Library Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For moreinformation, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu.Recommended CitationSteiner, S. K., & Renfro, C. (2009). Inside ALA's emerging leaders program: How GLA can help you get involved. Georgia LibraryQuarterly, 46(1), 4-7. Available at: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol46/iss1/2/Inside ALA’s Emerging Leaders Program:  How the Georgia Library Association Can Help You Get Involved  Sarah Steiner and Crystal Renfro  Abstract The American Library Association Emerging Leaders program, begun in 2006, has helped hundreds of librarians to improve their leadership ability, network with peers, and become involved with ALA. This article details the program's structure, content, goals, and future, and provides an insider’s look at its outcomes. The authors, two past GLA Emerging Leaders, share their thoughts on the program's efficacy and benefits. Finally, information on how the Georgia Library Association (and other ALA affiliates) can help future participants is included.  Introduction On Friday, January 19, 2007, a new adventure began for 110 library professionals. As the inaugural class of the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders (EL) program, they were slated to participate in a year-long program that would build their burgeoning professional skills and help them to become more involved with the American Library Association (ALA). The EL program was developed in answer to then ALA President Leslie Burger’s goal to create a formal system that would groom new leaders "to get on the fast track to ALA" (Leslie Burger). Now in its third year, the EL program continues to address the need for revitalization and seamless transition of leadership responsibilities within ALA, to help participants become more involved in ALA service, and to strengthen the new generation of librarians by preparing them to be the leaders of the dynamic ALA of tomorrow. This article provides details on the Steiner and Renfro 2    program’s basics, participants, content, goals, and future, and includes reflections from the authors, both of whom participated in the program’s first years.  Finally, it will discuss how the Georgia Library Association (GLA) can help its members to become involved through the provision of scholarship money.  Program Overview and Basics Applications for each year’s group are accepted from late spring until summer, and the participants are chosen in the following months. Once selected, the Emerging Leaders are split into interest-based groups of four to seven people, and each group is given an ALA-sponsored project to complete. They are instructed in leadership, distance collaboration, and the general structure of ALA during a day-long meeting at ALA Midwinter, and then they work collaboratively to create a program plan, divide duties, and ultimately, accomplish the project. At the final EL meeting at the ALA Annual Conference, each group presents a poster session and write-up of its accomplishments. The completion of the year-long program itself is only the beginning, however, because all members are expected to join a committee for a two-year appointment following their time in the EL Program.   Program Participants Participants in the program’s first two years have represented a diverse group of professionals. This diversity extends to ethnicity, gender, library type, library size, and geographic location. In order to be considered, applicants must have five or fewer years of professional experience or be under the age of thirty-five. Maureen Sullivan, one of the Steiner and Renfro 3    program’s administrators, stated that the large number of applications makes participant selection “daunting” (Sullivan). The selection committee analyzes the applications carefully in order to choose individuals who are “ready for the experience,” and many qualified applicants cannot be chosen, but are encouraged to reapply in future years. Current students and recent graduates are also considered; many participants come directly from library school or have less than one year of professional experience. Many other participants have been in the field for more than five years, but they still qualify under the age limit for participation.  Program Goals The EL program is intended to have positive results for both participating librarians and the profession at large. Participants benefit from the opportunity to network with colleagues, share experiences, and form a sense of community outside their immediate work or school environment. Many members of the inaugural class have continued to gather socially at later ALA conferences, and Sullivan hopes that this type of social link will flourish (Sullivan). The program is designed to help new librarians adjust to the structure of ALA (an organization that can seem intimidating), gain confidence in their professional abilities, meet professionals who are already involved in ALA service, and obtain further ALA committee assignments. A concerted effort is made to consider EL participants when ALA committee, task force, and working group appointments are being made. Finally, the program provides participants an opportunity to gain a level of familiarity with distance collaboration, a process that frustrates even the Steiner and Renfro 4    most experienced librarians. On a technical level, the working groups offer an introduction to the service process; on a personal level they can be much more.  The profession reaps the rewards of the work-time of the participants, first in the form of the projects themselves, and later through the committee work of the ELs. The program’s designers intended to create a mutually beneficial situation that would first benefit the participant, then the field at large.  Program Activities Prior to each year of the program, EL administrators send a call for group activity ideas to ALA division and committee leaders. Members of these committees may choose to submit activity plans that will then either be researched or completed by the EL groups. Programs are chosen by EL administrators to be representative of ALA’s many divisions, chapters, and roundtables, as well as the many different library types (public, academic, special, school media, etc.). EL participants are given the opportunity to review the potential projects and rank the ones that interest them; ultimately, each EL is assigned to a single project team based on the individual’s job skills, personal interests, and library type. Some previous projects have included video creation, wiki creation, work with the Association of College and Research Libraries, and work with the Public Library Association (see Table 1).                         Steiner and Renfro 5    Table 1:  Sample Emerging Leader Projects* Project Team Sponsor Project Wiki address Create a mentoring Plan that would appeal to Millennials. Team K (2007) AASL & Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/Project_K Design and populate a wiki for the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).  Team P (2008) Reference and User Services (RUSA)  http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/P_%282008%29_:_RUSA  Develop a "curricular design" for the 2008 ACRL 101 program June 2008. Team U (2008) Association of College & Research Libraries http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/U_%282008%29:_ACRL  Assist ASCLA in planning and promoting the release of an "accessibility toolkit" that provides information on different aspects of accessibility as well as an Electronic Accessibility Checklist. Team X (2008) Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/X_%282008%29:_ASCLA  Present success stories and best practices from institutions receiving PLA's Grow Your Own Institutional Scholarship grants Team A (2008) Public Library Association (PLA) http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/A_%282008%29:_PLA  * To review more projects, visit this link:http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html Steiner and Renfro 6    The Future Based on feedback from the program’s administrators, EL’s first participants were not the only ones to leave with new ideas. Sullivan states that many changes to the program have been and will continue to be made, and that these first years have been a “growth experience for everyone” (Sullivan). Administrative changes in the second year were many.  They included increased focus on the project team experience, the addition of more leadership training, and more group activities that allow the ELs to network with each other. Participants from all years are asked to provide feedback, and administrators will continue to evaluate and incorporate that feedback to improve the program.   How the Program Has Helped the Authors Sarah: GLA sponsored and funded me as a participant in the first year of the Emerging Leaders program, and my participation was an excellent learning and networking experience. The funding from GLA allowed me to participate in the program and helped me to form relationships with some GLA representatives as well; I chose to do part of my required committee service at the state level in order to work more closely with the group whose funds allowed me to attend the program. EL Program participants are encouraged to get involved at the state and local level as well as the national level, as professional travel funding is often difficult to procure. The EL program itself allowed me to meet new librarians and ALA administrators from around North America and gain a true understanding of the difficulties and benefits of distance committee work. I also had the opportunity to create a wiki resource on librarian recruitment and retention that is now Steiner and Renfro 7    linked on the ACRL Web page. I have stayed in touch with some of my team members, and I have noticed that they all continue to be highly active in publishing and committee work. Overall the experience was very positive—I had a great time working with my teammates, and I am happy with what we produced. I was also pleased to find that our feedback was read and integrated by the administrators; many of the changes mentioned by Maureen and Connie reflect issues that I heard expressed by members of the inaugural year. Crystal:  As a second-year Emerging Leader, I have benefited from the improvements to the program suggested by prior participants.  Our inaugural meeting at ALA Midwinter contained many opportunities for participants and mentors to meet and exchange ideas, as well as valuable sessions on leadership training and the structure of ALA.  My project group was charged with creating a proposal for a new mentoring program for the Reference and User Services Association.  At the time of this writing, we are hard at work finalizing our project, but already the experience of working remotely on a project team has been invaluable, both in terms of identifying effective project management techniques and developing negotiation skills.  GLA Involvement and Sponsorship Participation in the EL program requires a commitment from both the participant and the participant’s employer in terms of the time required to attend the mandatory workshops at ALA’s Midwinter and Annual meetings. Recognizing the financial impact of this requirement, twenty-seven ALA groups and divisions joined with Ms. Burger Steiner and Renfro 8    during its inaugural year by sponsoring and providing a financial stipend to an individual that they recommended for inclusion in the program.  The Georgia Library Association has provided a $1000 stipend to its sponsored candidate for the two past years of the EL program.  Robert Fox, past GLA president, explained that the organization wanted to give GLA members new to the profession an opportunity to participate in a national program designed to help participants build tools that would enable further development of their leadership skills (Fox). This commitment will return rewards both nationally and locally as EL graduates apply their new skills in library organizations such as GLA. Motivated committee members are vital to any organization, and the infusion of new individuals with strong leadership skills will help keep GLA vibrant and thriving. GLA was one of only eight state-level organizations to provide financial support for an EL sponsee in 2008.  “GLA considers it part of the responsibility of a good ALA State Chapter to participate in national programs as often as we can,” states Fox. GLA's Executive Board recently voted to continue its commitment to this program in 2009 (Fox). Fox has offered several valuable tips for individuals who would like to apply for GLA scholarship consideration. First, he suggests, if you applied in previous years, were not accepted, and still qualify, reapply to be considered again.  Second, he urges that interested applicants get involved with GLA; involvement is in no way required, but it may help to present candidates in the most favorable light to the selection committee. There are lots of ways to get involved, including volunteering at the annual meeting, writing a paper or book review for Georgia Libraries Quarterly, giving a presentation at Steiner and Renfro 9    the Georgia Council of Media Organizations (COMO) conference, or joining a committee. Fox also notes that individuals interested in the EL program should consider joining ALA committees and searching for sponsorship opportunities at a national level.   Conclusion Throughout its first years the Emerging Leaders Program has experienced an enthusiastic response from both participants and sponsors. Competition for participation (particularly for those appointments with sponsorship) remains keen, and newly “emerged” leaders are taking their places as active participants in the library service community.  If interest continues at its current level, the EL program will help to significantly transform the profession and bring new vitality to ALA.  To achieve this vision, the EL program needs a steady influx of new potential leaders.  If you meet the general criteria for involvement, please consider applying to both the program itself and for one of the many funding opportunities that exist. Steiner and Renfro 10    Works Cited ALA Emerging Leaders Wiki. 2008. American Library Association. 17 June 2008  <http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/Emerging_Leaders>.  Fox, Robert. Face-to-Face Interview. 20 March 2008. Leslie Burger : ALA Emerging Leaders. 17 June 2008  <http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html>. Sullivan, Maureen. Telephone Interview. 7 May 2008.    

Inside ALA\u27s Emerging Leaders Program: How GLA Can Help You Get Involved

Georgia State University

Georgia State University
ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University
University Library Faculty Publications Georgia State University Library
Winter 2009
Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders Program: How
GLA Can Help You Get Involved
Sarah King Steiner
Georgia State University, ssteiner@gsu.edu
Crystal Renfro
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/univ_lib_facpub
Part of the Library and Information Science Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Georgia State University Library at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been
accepted for inclusion in University Library Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more
information, please contact scholarworks@gsu.edu.
Recommended Citation
Steiner, S. K., & Renfro, C. (2009). Inside ALA's emerging leaders program: How GLA can help you get involved. Georgia Library
Quarterly, 46(1), 4-7. Available at: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol46/iss1/2/
Inside ALA’s Emerging Leaders Program:  
How the Georgia Library Association Can Help You Get Involved  
Sarah Steiner and Crystal Renfro 
 
Abstract 
The American Library Association Emerging Leaders program, begun in 2006, 
has helped hundreds of librarians to improve their leadership ability, network with peers, 
and become involved with ALA. This article details the program's structure, content, 
goals, and future, and provides an insider’s look at its outcomes. The authors, two past 
GLA Emerging Leaders, share their thoughts on the program's efficacy and benefits. 
Finally, information on how the Georgia Library Association (and other ALA affiliates) 
can help future participants is included. 
 
Introduction 
On Friday, January 19, 2007, a new adventure began for 110 library 
professionals. As the inaugural class of the American Library Association’s Emerging 
Leaders (EL) program, they were slated to participate in a year-long program that would 
build their burgeoning professional skills and help them to become more involved with 
the American Library Association (ALA). The EL program was developed in answer to 
then ALA President Leslie Burger’s goal to create a formal system that would groom new 
leaders "to get on the fast track to ALA" (Leslie Burger). Now in its third year, the EL 
program continues to address the need for revitalization and seamless transition of 
leadership responsibilities within ALA, to help participants become more involved in 
ALA service, and to strengthen the new generation of librarians by preparing them to be 
the leaders of the dynamic ALA of tomorrow. This article provides details on the 
Steiner and Renfro 2 
 
 
 
program’s basics, participants, content, goals, and future, and includes reflections from 
the authors, both of whom participated in the program’s first years.  Finally, it will 
discuss how the Georgia Library Association (GLA) can help its members to become 
involved through the provision of scholarship money. 
 
Program Overview and Basics 
Applications for each year’s group are accepted from late spring until summer, 
and the participants are chosen in the following months. Once selected, the Emerging 
Leaders are split into interest-based groups of four to seven people, and each group is 
given an ALA-sponsored project to complete. They are instructed in leadership, distance 
collaboration, and the general structure of ALA during a day-long meeting at ALA 
Midwinter, and then they work collaboratively to create a program plan, divide duties, 
and ultimately, accomplish the project. At the final EL meeting at the ALA Annual 
Conference, each group presents a poster session and write-up of its accomplishments. 
The completion of the year-long program itself is only the beginning, however, because 
all members are expected to join a committee for a two-year appointment following their 
time in the EL Program.  
 
Program Participants 
Participants in the program’s first two years have represented a diverse group of 
professionals. This diversity extends to ethnicity, gender, library type, library size, and 
geographic location. In order to be considered, applicants must have five or fewer years 
of professional experience or be under the age of thirty-five. Maureen Sullivan, one of the 
Steiner and Renfro 3 
 
 
 
program’s administrators, stated that the large number of applications makes participant 
selection “daunting” (Sullivan). The selection committee analyzes the applications 
carefully in order to choose individuals who are “ready for the experience,” and many 
qualified applicants cannot be chosen, but are encouraged to reapply in future years. 
Current students and recent graduates are also considered; many participants come 
directly from library school or have less than one year of professional experience. Many 
other participants have been in the field for more than five years, but they still qualify 
under the age limit for participation. 
 
Program Goals 
The EL program is intended to have positive results for both participating 
librarians and the profession at large. Participants benefit from the opportunity to network 
with colleagues, share experiences, and form a sense of community outside their 
immediate work or school environment. Many members of the inaugural class have 
continued to gather socially at later ALA conferences, and Sullivan hopes that this type 
of social link will flourish (Sullivan). The program is designed to help new librarians 
adjust to the structure of ALA (an organization that can seem intimidating), gain 
confidence in their professional abilities, meet professionals who are already involved in 
ALA service, and obtain further ALA committee assignments. A concerted effort is made 
to consider EL participants when ALA committee, task force, and working group 
appointments are being made. Finally, the program provides participants an opportunity 
to gain a level of familiarity with distance collaboration, a process that frustrates even the 
Steiner and Renfro 4 
 
 
 
most experienced librarians. On a technical level, the working groups offer an 
introduction to the service process; on a personal level they can be much more.  
The profession reaps the rewards of the work-time of the participants, first in the 
form of the projects themselves, and later through the committee work of the ELs. The 
program’s designers intended to create a mutually beneficial situation that would first 
benefit the participant, then the field at large. 
 
Program Activities 
Prior to each year of the program, EL administrators send a call for group activity 
ideas to ALA division and committee leaders. Members of these committees may choose 
to submit activity plans that will then either be researched or completed by the EL 
groups. Programs are chosen by EL administrators to be representative of ALA’s many 
divisions, chapters, and roundtables, as well as the many different library types (public, 
academic, special, school media, etc.). EL participants are given the opportunity to 
review the potential projects and rank the ones that interest them; ultimately, each EL is 
assigned to a single project team based on the individual’s job skills, personal interests, 
and library type. Some previous projects have included video creation, wiki creation, 
work with the Association of College and Research Libraries, and work with the Public 
Library Association (see Table 1).        
            
   
 
 
Steiner and Renfro 5 
 
 
 
Table 1:  Sample Emerging Leader Projects* 
Project Team Sponsor Project Wiki address 
Create a mentoring Plan 
that would appeal to 
Millennials. 
Team K 
(2007) 
AASL & Young 
Adult Library 
Services 
Association 
(YALSA) 
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleade
rs/index.php/Project_K 
Design and populate a 
wiki for the Business 
Reference and Services 
Section (BRASS). 
 Team P 
(2008) 
Reference and User 
Services (RUSA) 
 
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleade
rs/index.php/P_%282008%29_:_R
USA 
 
Develop a "curricular 
design" for the 2008 
ACRL 101 program June 
2008. 
Team U 
(2008) 
Association of 
College & Research 
Libraries 
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleade
rs/index.php/U_%282008%29:_A
CRL 
 
Assist ASCLA in 
planning and promoting 
the release of an 
"accessibility toolkit" 
that provides information 
on different aspects of 
accessibility as well as an 
Electronic Accessibility 
Checklist. 
Team X 
(2008) 
Association of 
Specialized and 
Cooperative 
Library Agencies 
(ASCLA) 
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleade
rs/index.php/X_%282008%29:_A
SCLA 
 
Present success stories 
and best practices from 
institutions receiving 
PLA's Grow Your Own 
Institutional Scholarship 
grants 
Team A 
(2008) 
Public Library 
Association (PLA) 
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleade
rs/index.php/A_%282008%29:_P
LA 
 
* To review more projects, visit this link:http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html 
Steiner and Renfro 6 
 
 
 
The Future 
Based on feedback from the program’s administrators, EL’s first participants were 
not the only ones to leave with new ideas. Sullivan states that many changes to the 
program have been and will continue to be made, and that these first years have been a 
“growth experience for everyone” (Sullivan). 
Administrative changes in the second year were many.  They included increased 
focus on the project team experience, the addition of more leadership training, and more 
group activities that allow the ELs to network with each other. Participants from all years 
are asked to provide feedback, and administrators will continue to evaluate and 
incorporate that feedback to improve the program.  
 
How the Program Has Helped the Authors 
Sarah: GLA sponsored and funded me as a participant in the first year of the Emerging 
Leaders program, and my participation was an excellent learning and networking 
experience. The funding from GLA allowed me to participate in the program and helped 
me to form relationships with some GLA representatives as well; I chose to do part of my 
required committee service at the state level in order to work more closely with the group 
whose funds allowed me to attend the program. EL Program participants are encouraged 
to get involved at the state and local level as well as the national level, as professional 
travel funding is often difficult to procure. The EL program itself allowed me to meet 
new librarians and ALA administrators from around North America and gain a true 
understanding of the difficulties and benefits of distance committee work. I also had the 
opportunity to create a wiki resource on librarian recruitment and retention that is now 
Steiner and Renfro 7 
 
 
 
linked on the ACRL Web page. I have stayed in touch with some of my team members, 
and I have noticed that they all continue to be highly active in publishing and committee 
work. Overall the experience was very positive—I had a great time working with my 
teammates, and I am happy with what we produced. I was also pleased to find that our 
feedback was read and integrated by the administrators; many of the changes mentioned 
by Maureen and Connie reflect issues that I heard expressed by members of the inaugural 
year. 
Crystal:  As a second-year Emerging Leader, I have benefited from the improvements to 
the program suggested by prior participants.  Our inaugural meeting at ALA Midwinter 
contained many opportunities for participants and mentors to meet and exchange ideas, as 
well as valuable sessions on leadership training and the structure of ALA.  My project 
group was charged with creating a proposal for a new mentoring program for the 
Reference and User Services Association.  At the time of this writing, we are hard at 
work finalizing our project, but already the experience of working remotely on a project 
team has been invaluable, both in terms of identifying effective project management 
techniques and developing negotiation skills.  
GLA Involvement and Sponsorship 
Participation in the EL program requires a commitment from both the participant 
and the participant’s employer in terms of the time required to attend the mandatory 
workshops at ALA’s Midwinter and Annual meetings. Recognizing the financial impact 
of this requirement, twenty-seven ALA groups and divisions joined with Ms. Burger 
Steiner and Renfro 8 
 
 
 
during its inaugural year by sponsoring and providing a financial stipend to an individual 
that they recommended for inclusion in the program.  
The Georgia Library Association has provided a $1000 stipend to its sponsored 
candidate for the two past years of the EL program.  Robert Fox, past GLA president, 
explained that the organization wanted to give GLA members new to the profession an 
opportunity to participate in a national program designed to help participants build tools 
that would enable further development of their leadership skills (Fox). This commitment 
will return rewards both nationally and locally as EL graduates apply their new skills in 
library organizations such as GLA. Motivated committee members are vital to any 
organization, and the infusion of new individuals with strong leadership skills will help 
keep GLA vibrant and thriving. 
GLA was one of only eight state-level organizations to provide financial support 
for an EL sponsee in 2008.  “GLA considers it part of the responsibility of a good ALA 
State Chapter to participate in national programs as often as we can,” states Fox. GLA's 
Executive Board recently voted to continue its commitment to this program in 2009 
(Fox). 
Fox has offered several valuable tips for individuals who would like to apply for 
GLA scholarship consideration. First, he suggests, if you applied in previous years, were 
not accepted, and still qualify, reapply to be considered again.  Second, he urges that 
interested applicants get involved with GLA; involvement is in no way required, but it 
may help to present candidates in the most favorable light to the selection committee. 
There are lots of ways to get involved, including volunteering at the annual meeting, 
writing a paper or book review for Georgia Libraries Quarterly, giving a presentation at 
Steiner and Renfro 9 
 
 
 
the Georgia Council of Media Organizations (COMO) conference, or joining a 
committee. Fox also notes that individuals interested in the EL program should consider 
joining ALA committees and searching for sponsorship opportunities at a national level.  
 
Conclusion 
Throughout its first years the Emerging Leaders Program has experienced an 
enthusiastic response from both participants and sponsors. Competition for participation 
(particularly for those appointments with sponsorship) remains keen, and newly 
“emerged” leaders are taking their places as active participants in the library service 
community.  If interest continues at its current level, the EL program will help to 
significantly transform the profession and bring new vitality to ALA.  To achieve this 
vision, the EL program needs a steady influx of new potential leaders.  If you meet the 
general criteria for involvement, please consider applying to both the program itself and 
for one of the many funding opportunities that exist. 
Steiner and Renfro 10 
 
 
 
Works Cited 
ALA Emerging Leaders Wiki. 2008. American Library Association. 17 June 2008  
<http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/Emerging_Leaders>.  
Fox, Robert. Face-to-Face Interview. 20 March 2008. 
Leslie Burger : ALA Emerging Leaders. 17 June 2008  
<http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html>. 
Sullivan, Maureen. Telephone Interview. 7 May 2008. 
 
  


Steiner, Sarah

DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University

Georgia Library QuarterlyVolume 46 | Issue 1 Article 2January 2009Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders Program: HowGLA Can Help You Get InvolvedSarah SteinerGeorgia State University, ssteiner@gsu.eduCrystal RenfroGeorgia Institute of Technology, crenfro1@kennesaw.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glqPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GeorgiaLibrary Quarterly by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@kennesaw.edu.Recommended CitationSteiner, Sarah and Renfro, Crystal (2009) "Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders Program: How GLA Can Help You Get Involved," GeorgiaLibrary Quarterly: Vol. 46 : Iss. 1 , Article 2.Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol46/iss1/24   Winter 2009   Georgia Library QuarterlyInside ALA’s Emerging Leaders Program:How GLA Can Help You Get Involvedby Sarah Steiner and Crystal RenfroThe  American Library AssociationEmerging Leaders program, begun in2006, has helped hundreds oflibrarians to improve their leadershipability, network with peers andbecome involved with ALA. Thisarticle details the program’sstructure, content, goals and futureand provides an insider’s look at itsoutcomes. The authors, two pastGLA Emerging Leaders, share theirthoughts on the program’s efficacyand benefits. Finally, information onhow the Georgia Library Associationand other ALA affiliates can helpfuture participants is included.IntroductionOn Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, a newadventure began for 110 libraryprofessionals. As the inaugural classof the American Library Association’sEmerging Leaders (EL) program, theywere slated to participate in a year-long program that would build theirburgeoning professional skills andhelp them to become more involvedwith the American Library Association.The EL program was developed inanswer to then ALA President LeslieBurger’s goal to create a formalsystem that would groom newleaders “to get on the fast track toALA” (Leslie Burger). Now in its thirdyear, the EL program continues toaddress the need for revitalizationand seamless transition of leadershipresponsibilities within ALA, to helpparticipants become more involved inALA service and to strengthen thenew generation of librarians bypreparing them to be the leaders ofthe dynamic ALA of tomorrow. Thisarticle provides details on the pro-gram’s basics, participants, content,goals and future and includesreflections from the authors, both ofwhom participated in the program’sfirst years.  Finally, it will discuss howthe Georgia Library Association (GLA)can help its members to becomeinvolved through the provision ofscholarship money.Program Overview and BasicsApplications for each year’s group areaccepted from late spring untilsummer, and the participants arechosen in the following months.Once selected, the Emerging Leadersare split into interest-based groups offour to seven people, and each groupis given an ALA-sponsored project tocomplete. They are instructed inleadership, distance collaboration andthe general structure of ALA during adaylong meeting at ALA Midwinter,and then they work collaboratively tocreate a program plan, divide dutiesand ultimately, accomplish theproject. At the final EL meeting at theALA Annual Conference, each grouppresents a poster session and write-up of its accomplishments. Thecompletion of the yearlong programitself is only the beginning, however,because all members are expected tojoin a committee for a two-yearappoint-ment following their time inthe EL Program.Program ParticipantsParticipants in the program’s first twoyears have represented a diversegroup of professionals. This diversityextends to ethnicity, gender, librarytype, library size and geographiclocation. In order to be considered,applicants must have five or feweryears of professional experience or beunder the age of 35. MaureenSullivan, one of the program’sadministrators, stated that the largenumber of applications makesparticipant selection “daunting”(Sullivan). The selection committeeanalyzes the applications carefully inorder to choose individuals who are“ready for the experience,” andmany qualified applicants cannot bechosen but are encouraged toreapply in future years. Currentstudents and recent graduates arealso considered; many participantscome directly from library school orhave less than one year ofprofessional experience. Many otherparticipants have been in the field for1Steiner and Renfro: Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders ProgramPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 2009Georgia Library Quarterly   Winter 2009   5more than five years, but they stillqualify under the age limit forparticipation.Program GoalsThe EL program is intended to havepositive results for both participatinglibrarians and the profession at large.Participants benefit from theopportunity to network withcolleagues, share experiences andform a sense of community outsidetheir immediate work or schoolenvironment. Many members of theinaugural class have continued togather socially at later ALAconferences, and Sullivan hopes thatthis type of social link will flourish(Sullivan). The program is designed tohelp new librarians adjust to thestructure of ALA (an organizationthat can seem intimidating), gainconfidence in their professionalabilities, meet professionals who arealready involved in ALA service andobtain further ALA committeeassignments. A concerted effort ismade to consider EL participantswhen ALA committee, task force andworking group appointments arebeing made.Finally, the program providesparticipants an opportunity to gain alevel of familiarity with distancecollaboration, a process thatfrustrates even the most experiencedlibrarians. On a technical level, theworking groups offer an introductionto the service process; on a personallevel, they can be much more.The profession reaps the rewards ofthe work-time of the participants,first in the form of the projectsthemselves and later through thecommittee work of the ELs. Theprogram’s designers intended tocreate a mutually beneficial situationthat would first benefit theparticipant, then the field at large.Program ActivitiesPrior to each year of the program, ELadministrators send a call for groupactivity ideas to ALA division andcommittee leaders. Members of thesecommittees may choose to submitactivity plans that will then either beresearched or completed by the ELgroups. Programs are chosen by ELadministrators to be representative ofALA’s many divisions, chapters androundtables, as well as the manydifferent library types (public,academic, special, school media,etc.). EL participants are given theopportunity to review the potentialprojects and rank the ones thatinterest them; ultimately, each EL isassigned to a single project teambased on the individual’s job skills,personal interests and library type.Some previous projects have includedvideo creation, wiki creation, workwith the Association of College andResearch Libraries, and work with thePublic Library Association (see table,below).The FutureBased on feedback from theprogram’s administrators, EL’s firstparticipants were not the only onesTable: Sample Emerging Leader Projects* To review more projects, visit: http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html2Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 46, Iss. 1 [2009], Art. 2https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol46/iss1/2to leave with new ideas. Sullivanstates that many changes to theprogram have been and will continueto be made and that these first yearshave been a “growth experience foreveryone” (Sullivan).Administrative changes in the secondyear were many. They includedincreased focus on the project teamexperience, the addition of moreleadership training, and more groupactivities that allow the ELs to networkwith each other. Participants from allyears are asked to provide feedback,and administrators will continue toevaluate and incorporate thatfeedback to improve the program.How the Program Has HelpedSarah: GLA sponsored and fundedme as a participant in the first year ofthe Emerging Leaders program, andmy participation was an excellentlearning and networking experience.The funding from GLA allowed me toparticipate in the program andhelped me to form relationships withsome GLA representatives as well; Ichose to do part of my requiredcommittee service at the state level inorder to work more closely with thegroup whose funds allowed me toattend the program. EL programparticipants are encouraged to getinvolved at the state and local level aswell as the national level, as profes-sional travel funding is often difficultto procure. The EL program itselfallowed me to meet new librariansand ALA administrators from aroundNorth America and gain a trueunderstanding of the difficulties andbenefits of distance committee work.I also had the opportunity to create awiki resource on librarian recruitmentand retention that is now linked onthe ACRL Web page. I have stayed intouch with some of my teammembers, and I have noticed thatthey all continue to be highly activein publishing and committee work.Overall the experience was verypositive — I had a great time workingwith my teammates, and I am happywith what we produced. I was alsopleased to find that our feedbackwas read and integrated by theadministrators; many of the changesmentioned by Maureen and Conniereflect issues that I heard expressedby members of the inaugural year.Crystal:  As a second-year EmergingLeader, I have benefited from theimprovements to the programsuggested by prior participants.  Ourinaugural meeting at ALA Midwintercontained many opportunities forparticipants and mentors to meet andexchange ideas, as well as valuablesessions on leadership training andthe structure of ALA. My projectgroup was charged with creating aproposal for a new mentoringprogram for the Reference and UserServices Association. At the time ofthis writing, we are hard at workfinalizing our project, but already theexperience of working remotely on aproject team has been invaluable,both in terms of identifying effectiveproject management techniques anddeveloping negotiation skills.GLA Involvement and SponsorshipParticipation in the EL programrequires a commitment from both theparticipant and the participant’semployer in terms of the timerequired to attend the mandatoryworkshops at ALA’s Midwinter andAnnual meetings. Recognizing thefinancial impact of this requirement,27 ALA groups and divisions joinedwith Ms. Burger during its inauguralyear by sponsoring and providing afinancial stipend to an individual whothey recommended for inclusion.The Georgia Library Association hasprovided a $1,000 stipend to itssponsored candidate for the past twoyears of the EL program. Robert Fox,past GLA president, explained thatthe organization wanted to give GLAmembers new to the profession anopportunity to participate in a nationalprogram designed to help participantsbuild tools that would enable furtherdevelopment of their leadership skills(Fox). This commitment will returnrewards both nationally and locally asEL graduates apply their new skills inlibrary organizations such as GLA.Motivated committee members arevital to any organization, and theinfusion of new individuals withstrong leadership skills will help keepGLA vibrant and thriving.GLA was one of only eight state-levelorganizations to provide financialsupport for an EL sponsee in 2008.“GLA considers it part of theresponsibility of a good ALA statechapter to participate in nationalprograms as often as we can,” statesFox. GLA’s executive board recentlyvoted to continue its commitment tothis program in 2009 (Fox).Fox has offered several valuable tipsfor individuals who would like toapply for GLA scholarshipconsideration. First, he suggests, ifyou applied in previous years, werenot accepted and still qualify, reapplyto be considered again.  Second, heurges that interested applicants getinvolved with GLA; involvement is inno way required, but it may help topresent candidates in the mostfavorable light to the selectioncommittee. There are lots of ways toget involved, including volunteeringat the annual meeting, writing apaper or book review for GeorgiaLibrary Quarterly, giving apresentation at the Georgia Councilof Media Organizations (COMO)conference or joining a committee.Fox also notes that individualsinterested in the EL program shouldconsider joining ALA committees andsearching for sponsorshipopportunities at a national level.ConclusionThroughout its first years, theEmerging Leaders program hasexperienced an enthusiastic response6   Winter 2009   Georgia Library Quarterly3Steiner and Renfro: Inside ALA's Emerging Leaders ProgramPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 2009from both participants and sponsors.Competition for participation (partic-ularly for those appointments withsponsorship) remains keen and newly“emerged” leaders are taking theirplaces as active participants in thelibrary service community. If interestcontinues at its current level, the ELprogram will help to significantlytransform the profession and bringnew vitality to ALA. To achieve this,the EL program needs a steady influxof new potential leaders. If you meetthe general criteria for involvement,please consider applying to both theprogram itself and for one of thefunding opportunities that exist. Sarah Steiner is learning commons librarianat Georgia State University. Crystal Renfrois a librarian in the information servicesdepartment at the Georgia Institute ofTechnology.References:ALA Emerging Leaders Wiki. 2008. AmericanLibrary Association. 17 June 2008; http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/Emerging_Leaders.Fox, Robert. Face-to-face interview. 20 March2008.Leslie Burger: ALA Emerging Leaders. 17 June2008; http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/emerging_leaders.html.Sullivan, Maureen. Telephone interview. 7 May2008.8:45 a.m.Registration, coffee and juiceFloyd Building(“Twin Towers,” 20th floor,West Tower)9:15  a.m.Welcome – GLA PresidentFloyd Building9:20  a.m.Remarks from Georgialegislative guestsFloyd Building10:00 a.m.Comments from the librarycommunity and organizationsFloyd Building10:45 a.m.Visit the CapitolGeorgia State Capitol(Please contact your legislators prior to Feb. 26and let them know you will be attending.)11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.Box lunch with yourlegislatorsFloyd BuildingGeorgia Library Day 2009Registration Form (Please complete one form for each registrant.)Name: ______________________________________________________________________Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Library Name: ________________________________________________________________My Library is in Georgia Senate District(s)*: ________________________________________My Library is in Georgia House District(s)*: ________________________________________*For assistance, visit the Secretary of State Web site at http://www.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/locator.aspPlease enclose:Registration form and $30 per person. Make check(s) payable to GLA, and reference“Registration” in note section. Mail payment to: Georgia Library Association,P.O. Box 793, Rex, GA 30273. Payment must be received by February 13, 2009!Questions? Contact Gordon Baker at 678-466-4325 or gordonbaker@clayton.edu.Georgia Library Quarterly   Winter 2009   7Join GLA on Thursday, February 26for Georgia Library Day 2009!4Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 46, Iss. 1 [2009], Art. 2https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol46/iss1/2

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1268&amp;context=glq

Inside ALA\u27s Emerging Leaders Program: How GLA Can Help You Get Involved

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

Georgia State University

DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University