2017 ACRL/PLA Joint Presidents’ Program at ALA Annual Conference

For Immediate Release
Tue, 05/09/2017

Contact:

Megan Griffin

Program Officer

ACRL

mgriffin@ala.org

CHICAGO – Join the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Public Library Association (PLA) for a joint Presidents’ Program at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.  Hosted by ACRL President Irene M.H. Herold and PLA President Felton Thomas Jr., this program will take place from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Grand Ballroom A/B.

Featuring leadership expert Bernard (Bernie) Banks, Associate Dean for Leadership Development and Clinical Professor of Management at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, this program will offer key leadership development for all levels of academic, research, and public librarians who are faced with complex problems. Banks will discuss how organizational challenges can be understood from a variety of perspectives, giving attendees a more complex approach to developing effective, robust solutions. This event is a “can’t-miss” for those interested in increasing their leadership responsibilities, as well as those looking to expand their ability to understand and assess multi-faceted challenges.

The 2017 ACRL/PLA Joint Presidents’ Program is open to all conference attendees.

About Bernard (Bernie) Banks

As an Associate Dean for Leadership Development at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Banks possesses responsibility for leadership development integration across the school’s global portfolio of programs. He retired from the Army as a Brigadier General in 2016 after having successfully led West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership from 2012-2016. In addition to having studied leadership extensively, he has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to 500 people. In 1995, Banks was selected from over 40,000 officers to receive the Army's top award for entry-level managers (General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award). In 2006, the Apache Helicopter unit he was leading in South Korea was designated as the top Apache Helicopter unit globally in the U.S. Army's annual best aviation unit competition.

Banks holds graduate degrees from Northwestern, Columbia, and Harvard Universities. Additionally, he earned his Ph.D. in social-organizational psychology from Columbia University. His work has been published in a variety of outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Military Psychology, and The New York Times. Furthermore, he has worked extensively with organizations across all sectors concerning their leadership-development efforts. These organizations include Procter and Gamble, Mercedes-Benz, General Electric, IBM, 7-Eleven, The U.S. Forest Service, and International Chiefs of Police.

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About ACRL
The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for librarians. Representing nearly 11,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship. ACRL is on the web at acrl.org, Facebook at facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.

About PLA
PLA is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA offers continuing education opportunities, unique public library initiatives, and a conference that welcomes public library staff into meaningful partnership. In collaboration with its parent organization, the American Library Association, PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders.