ALA Announces the 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders; ALA, December 4, 2024

ALA; ALA Announces the 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders

"The American Library Association (ALA) has selected forty-six (46) people to participate in its 2025 class of Emerging Leaders (EL). The EL program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. See the list of participants.

The Emerging Leaders program will kick off with a day-long session during the ALA LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience (LibLearnX25) event in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants will continue in a virtual learning and networking environment for six months. The EL program culminates with a poster session where the Emerging Leaders will highlight the results of their project planning work during the ALA 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia this June.

Christina Fuller-Gregory and Libby Holtmann, co-chairs of the Emerging Leaders program, look forward to working with this class of Emerging Leaders. Commenting on the EL program, Fuller-Gregory and Holtmann shared that ' We feel privileged to work with a group of dynamic early career librarians and library workers. The 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders continues the EL programs tradition of excellence, bringing with them both a passion for the field, and a desire to continue to advance the larger work or ALA. This year's class can expect to engage in more specialized programming, intentional peer-to-peer engagement, and a continued tradition of providing Emerging Leaders with project-based learning opportunities."

The EL cohort consists of individuals from across the U.S. and Canada. The participants commit to taking part in all aspects of the program and may have an opportunity to serve on an ALA, division, chapter, round table, or affiliate committee or workgroup upon completion.

This year, approximately sixty-one (61%) percent of participants have received sponsorships. The sponsors include ALA divisions, roundtables, the National Associations of Librarians of Color, state chapters, and ALA affiliate organizations. Each sponsor commits to financial support of an Emerging Leader to help defray costs of attending the LibLearnX and the ALA Annual Conferences.

The complete list of the selected participants and sponsoring organizations can be found on the Emerging Leader’s webpage.

The ALA Emerging Leaders program is managed by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment(HRDR)."

Unique law library has served community for 79 years; The Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon], February 1, 2018

Rigmor Angel Soerensen, The Chronicle [St. Helens, Oregon]; Unique law library has served community for 79 years

"Davis and Ballentine visited different law libraries around the state. They talked with people, took photographs and interviewed librarians to get a feel for what law library facilities are like.

“I was particularly interested in what law libraries are going to look like in 10 or 15 years,” Davis said. With changes in technology and the availability for resource materials Davis wondered how the role of law libraries would change in today’s society.

Davis and Ballentine worked on their study for about six months, then wrote up a report and presented it to the commissioners, the district attorneys and the law library committee which hired them to implement their recommendations in the fall of 2015. With new lighting, a repaired floor with new carpet and a computer work area with digital access to online resources the law library was reopened for business in January of 2016 and Davis was hired as the law librarian."

Emerging Leader participants for Class of 2014 announced; ALA News, 11/6/13

Beatrice Calvin, ALA News; [Press Release] Emerging Leader participants for Class of 2014 announced: For Immediate Release Wed, 11/06/2013 Contact: Beatrice Calvin Program Officer Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment 280-4280 bcalvin@ala.org CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has selected 56 people to participate in its 2014 class of Emerging Leaders. The program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning workgroups; network with peers; gain an inside look into ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. The program kicks off with a day-long session during the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. Following the kickoff session, which includes orientation and training, the program will continue in an online learning and networking environment for six months, culminating with a poster session with the 2014 Emerging Leaders showcasing the results of their project planning work at the ALA 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Participants commit to taking part in all aspects of the program and may have an opportunity to serve on an ALA, division, chapter, round table or affiliate committee or workgroup upon completion of program. ALA Past-President, program facilitator and subcommittee Co-Chair, Maureen Sullivan, stated: “This very successful program has enabled a number of very talented new professionals to assume leadership positions in ALA at earlier career stage. These individuals have brought fresh ideas, new approaches and significant energy to the association. I welcome this next class and look forward to working with them.” Nearly 70 percent of this year’s participants have received sponsorships. The sponsors included ALA divisions, roundtables, state chapters, ALA affiliate groups and other organizations. Each sponsor commits to financial support of an Emerging Leader in order to help defray costs for attending the ALA Midwinter Meeting and the Annual Conference. Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders subcommittee, Audra Caplan, said, “I am very pleased to welcome the 2014 class of Emerging Leaders. The success of past participants of the program attest to the value of the program. Many past participants are now in leadership positions in ALA and its Divisions and Roundtables. In addition many of the projects completed by past groups have been implemented successfully by the sponsoring organizations. I am gratified to know that the Emerging Leader program is stronger than ever." Read the complete list of 2014 Class of Emerging Leader Participants (PDF). (http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2013/11/emerging-leader-participants-class-2014-announced)

Exercise Your Leadership Skills | Lead the Change; Library Journal, 4/10/13

Eva Calcagno, Library Journal; Exercise Your Leadership Skills | Lead the Change: "If you are like me, your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator starts with a capital I, not an E, so networking with others does not come naturally. We have to work at it. But building connections with decision-makers, colleagues, and staff are essential to leading, supporting and defending our organizations, and to cementing libraries as vital to community livability. Before a crisis hits, we need to build relationships, establish connections and credibility, and provide library supporters with the tools they need to be library leaders. You don’t want to meet your county commissioners or city councilors for the first time at a public hearing to fend off budget cuts!"