ALA Announces Emerging Leader Participants

Beatrice Calvin


Program Officer, Placement & Recruitment


312/280-4280


bcalvin@ala.org

For immediate release


October 16, 2007

ALA announces Emerging Leader participants

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the librarians who will participate in the Emerging Leaders (EL) 2008 program.

An initiative of ALA Immediate Past President Leslie Burger, the EL program will enable 124 librarians from across the country to participate in problem-solving workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity.

Burger said, "I am delighted that ALA is continuing the Emerging Leaders program in 2008. Last year's experience demonstrated the need for an ongoing program of this type to ensure that the next generation of association leaders has the skills and confidence it needs to lead ALA and its chapters in the coming years."

The 2008 EL program kicks off with a daylong session during the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia in January. Afterward, it will grow and develop in an online environment for six months and culminate at the 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., in June. Participants commit to taking part in all aspects of the program and will have an opportunity to serve on an ALA division, chapter or round table committee, task force or work group upon completion of the program.

Approximately one-third of this year's participants have received sponsorships. "We are most grateful to ALA, its divisions and round tables, the state chapters, ALA affiliate groups and other organizations for their sponsorship of EL candidates in both 2007 and 2008. I am looking forward to seeing great things from each participant in the years to come," Burger said.

Participants will receive two days of training with Maureen Sullivan, an organizational consultant, and Connie Paul, executive director of the Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative.





The complete list of the selected participants and sponsoring organizations is available online at:
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/img/8/87/Emerging_Leaders_2008_Participants.pdf.