Two GSLIS alumni were selected this year as Public Library Association (PLA) Leadership Fellows to attend the PLA Leadership Academy: Navigating Change · Building Community.
Toby Greenwalt (MS ’04) and Marc Gartler (MS ’05) were among twenty-four public librarians selected for the PLA Leadership Academy, a pilot program that seeks to develop a leadership training model for advancing community goals and fostering active change agents. The program centers on an in-person event offering interactive education, networking, and professional coaching. Greenwalt and Gartler attended this event on March 4-8 in Chicago.
Following the in-person event, the leadership fellows will continue to participate in extended online courses through four monthly webinars. Each fellow will propose a project to later implement at his or her library, integrating library and city goals while influencing larger library initiatives such as literacy, economic development, and immigrant integration.
Supported by an IMLS planning grant, the PLA Leadership Academy was developed in collaboration with the International City and Council Management Association (ICMA). This partnership fosters a groundbreaking focus on developing necessary skills to work with municipal officials in order to enhance the position of the library within the community and improve the effectiveness of library activities and programs.