Michigan Technological University Library 'Empowering Library Staff to Lead Confidently and Plan Effectively' program awarded H.W. Wilson Staff Development Grant

CHICAGO — The Michigan Technological University Van Pelt and Opie Library has been named the H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant recipient for 2016, for its "Empowering Library Staff to Lead Confidently and Plan Effectively” program. The focus of this program is to promote professional learning and foster leadership skills aligned with university goals and campus initiatives. Upon completion, staff will be fully empowered to provide service and conduct their work with the highest level of confidence and knowledge.

This grant will allow the Van Pelt and Opie Library to develop a multi-faceted workshop series dedicated to leadership and planning skills. The program is designed to support its commitment to embed the LEAN way of thinking into their library culture by giving library staff the skills needed to be responsive, effective and innovative within their roles in the library, thus providing better customer service, job satisfaction and overall improved experiences by library patrons and university colleagues. The staff members have already undergone preliminary needs assessments and are now ready to move forward with an external training consultant who will present workshops entitled, “Influential Leadership” and “Turning Difficult Situations into Opportunities.” Upon completion, a tool-kit will be developed to build upon for future training. It is also noteworthy to mention that due to the somewhat isolated location of the university, which creates hardship for professional development travel, they will also be inviting two local libraries to participate in the program.

Jury Member Paul Anderson commented on how well the overall project was developed, “The organization was impressive: learn what is needed, organize to achieve this and employ assessment to measure results and set future directions,” he said.

Members of the 2016 H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant jury were Deana Groves, Chair, Western Kentucky University; Paul Anderson, University of Delaware; Shirley Biladeau, Idaho Commission for Libraries; Barbara Burd, Costal Carolina University; and Elizabeth Joseph, Ferguson Library.

The award will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in June. More information about the H.W. Wilson Staff Development Award including how to submit a nomination is available on the ALA website.

The deadline for submissions of applications for the 2017 H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant is Dec. 1, 2016.