About: PLA Leadership Academy, 2025

PLA Leadership Academy is a dynamic in-person event that includes four days of interactive education and networking.

Since the program’s inception in 2013, five academies have been held, and 142 leaders have been trained.

The PLA Leadership Academy was developed in partnership with Adam Goodman, director of the Center for Leadership at Northwestern University.  This project is supported in part by funding from the Friends of PLA.

The International City and County Management Association, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also provided support during the project’s initial development.

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Note: Applications for the 2025 Cohort have closed.