How has the ARL Leadership Institute and Diversity Scholarship impacted my career?

Foremost, I am very proud and feel very fortunate to have been awarded a Diversity Scholarship from the Association of Research Libraries. With this scholarship, ARL has set a magnificent example of how to acheive the mission of balancing the library field in terms of diversity. As a scholarship recipient, I attended the Third Annual Leadership Institute and it was the most eye opening, confidence building, and positive networking experience I have had in the field so far.

The institute had a tremendous impact on me for two reasons that primarily have to do with the ARL staff and their mission and goals. First, I think ARL truly understands the need for diversity within the library field and because of this, they understand that groups who have traditionally not been well represented in the library field, in most cases, lack an understanding of how that world works. ARL understands that these groups must be introduced to the field in a way that is effective and will create the most options for success while at the same time not being patronizing. The institute really struck that delicate balance. This understanding reflected very well in the way the institute was organized and run. Secondly, the ARL staff who organized and presented at the institute know that in order to be successful and to advance in any profession, one must know how things work on the surface and behind the scenes. To this end, the institute was set up so that the sessions were not all about the everyday issues like education, resumes, finding a job, or networking, but also included "big picture" sessions covering organizational culture, technology in libraries, library fund development, and millennial students' trends in library usage. The latter sessions encouraged me and equipped me to believe that apart from just being an employee in the library field, I can also be a leader and succeed at it.

More importantly though, the institute and the vast number of people I came in contact with showed me ways I could immediately begin working toward success in the library field. I am in the first year and second semester of an MLS/MA program at Indiana University. Ever since returning from the institute there are three things I have done and will continue to do because of what I learned. First, I make it a priority that any job or educational experience I get involved with is relevant to what my career goals are. Second, I submit material for publication every chance I get whether it is a book review, an encyclopedia article, or a journal article. I have submitted seven so far. And third, I volunteer even if it is one or two hours per week doing things I can see myself doing in a career. There is no better way to get experience and build professional friendships if you are student. So as far as how the ARL Leadership Institute has impacted my career, I would have to say that it has given me the confidence to feel like I can succeed in a field of work that was completely foreign to me a year and a half ago. It has also given me the courage to seek out opportunities in order to stay motivated toward fulfilling my career goals.

Bergis Jules is currently enrolled in the dual masters program in Library Science and African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University and plans to include a specialization in Archives and Records Management.

Bergis Jules

2007-2008

Diversity Scholar

Vaishali Jahagirdar

The Third Annual Leadership Institute was my very first professional conference in the US.  The institute was a stimulating experience, with a great deal of cross-fertilization of ideas. The professional networking and meeting graduates from various programs, as well as institutions, was such an overwhelming delight! I really enjoyed every minute of it--not only the networking and being with my academy fellows but also meeting the LCDP Fellows and Diversity Scholars, the ARL library directors, HR directors, and other leaders in the profession who were such delights to interact with. The underlying theme of the conference which was promotion of an "exchange of experience" between participants--especially between academics in the area and others with practical experience--was very educational. The conference was filled with formal learning opportunities including many outstanding keynote speakers and presentations from people with varied professional backgrounds. However, it is all the informal lessons that I learned that stand in the forefront of my mind. The "Transitioning into an ARL Library" panel discussion was a wonderful session on the real experiences by the previous ARL Fellows and their experiences in making the transition into an ARL library. From this experience I had opportunities to weigh in my inclinations and develop interest in new areas and learn more about myself as in what type of professional I want to pursue. The Future Library Leaders Reception was the highlight of the conference. The ARL Leadership Institute was an exciting and informative conference. I have benefited tremendously from the various opportunities to meet and network in an informal setting with people from many disciplines, universities, and other institutions and interact with many other students with similar interests that I made connections with. I was pleasantly surprised by just how relevant and applicable the sessions were to current trends in the library field.
I left at the end of the institute feeling full from the insights, new interests and ideas, and feeling that the conference contributed to my professional development as a student. As such, I got my first taste of the challenges and opportunities I'm likely to face after graduation.

Vaishali Jahagirdar is in library school at Catholic University. She holds Bachelors degrees in Economics and Library & Information Science, and a Masters in Library & Information Science from the University of Mumbai, India. Her professional experience includes five years as an Executive Librarian at the Drug Discovery Research Center of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Mumbai, India.

The Third Annual Leadership Institute was a whirlwind of immersion and training.

From the perspective of the ARL Academy Fellows who attended, the institute offered a rapid acceleration of our understanding of the critical issues facing academic libraries. Our teachers were scholars of depth and status in their respective fields of expertise. They represented the progressive edge of knowledge in areas such as information policy, scholarly communication, library assessment, innovative practices in library instruction, library recruitment, and professionalism. Our days were filled with a procession of expert presenters, each displaying remarkable scholarship, experience, and acumen. The benefits of the institute have continued to resonate after our return from Seattle. The eight ARL Academy Fellows at UNC-SILS who attended have been able to bring relevant and timely information learned at the institute to our classes and to our workplaces. We have been able to share tales of innovations in addressing the needs of Net Generation students, provide current analyses of the frustrations and breakthroughs in the area of scholarly communication, and bring news of exciting studies and outcomes in the field of library assessment.

As a further aspect of our training in Seattle, we were presented with advice about library interviewing, the hiring process, and the art of professional networking. We had a chance to reflect on what we had learned in small groups and discuss issues of urgency within the library community with each other. A particular highlight of the institute was the Future Library Leaders Reception, a relaxing evening event where candlelight and cocktails provided a pleasant respite from the highly charged daytime schedule. At the reception we had the opportunity to meet socially with library directors and other library leaders representing innovative and exciting academic libraries, and also with respected researchers and thinkers in the field of academic librarianship. As we departed Seattle and the Leadership Institute, we were exhausted and exhilarated, and we all agreed that we had benefited greatly from the experience.

Lyn Batty is in library school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her B.A. in English Literature from UNC-CH and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law School. Her interests include public services in academic libraries, copyright issues affecting libraries, information policy, scholarly communications, and library development.

Lyn Batty

2007-2008

ARL Academy Fellow

Shannon D. Jones

2007-2008 LCDP Fellow

  ARL Leadership and Career Development Program: Taking my career to the next level

The ARL Leadership Institute is funded by ARL member institutions and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Registration for the institute is complimentary for any MLS graduate student and new librarians who are interested in pursuing a career in a research library.   The Fourth Annual Leadership Institute will be held on January 19-20, 2008, in Philadelphia, PA.

The next issue of Synergy will focus on Residencies in Research Libraries.  The featured writers for the next issue are:  

Marissa Alcorta, Purdue University, Diversity Fellow, ARL Diversity Scholar 2005-2007

Julie Brewer,  Librarian, University of Delaware

LeVern Gray, University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Resident Fellow, ARL Diversity Scholar 2004-2006

Teresa Neely, Director, Zimmerman Library, University of New Mexico

Megan Perez, MLS candidate, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, ARL Diversity Scholar 2005-2007