The first institute of the ARL Academy: Careers in Academic and Research Libraries was held September 19–21, in Washington, DC and was evaluated as a success thanks to the three partner graduate schools, Library of Congress staff, and the talented and engaging Academy fellows.

The ARL Academy recruits and prepares MLIS students who already have graduate degrees in other disciplines—or specialized educational accomplishments—for careers in academic and research librarianship. The Academy is a partnership between ARL and three library and information science schools: Catholic University of America, Simmons College, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The program is supported by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services “Recruiting and Educating Librarians for the 21st Century” program. Every fall from 2004 through 2006, five MLIS students from each of the three partner schools will be selected as ARL Academy fellows. At the conclusion of the three-year program, 45 subject experts will be well prepared and positioned for careers in research libraries.

A list of the 2004–2005 ARL Academy fellows is below.

Catholic University of America
Robert L. Dorman
PhD, History, Brown University
BA, History, University of Oklahoma

Leigh Anne Palmer
MA, Literature, University of Pennsylvania
BA, English Literature, The George Washington University

Miranda A. Turner
JD, University of Florida
MA, Speech Communication, University of Georgia

Simmons College
Kathrine Cole Aydelott
PhD, English, University of Connecticut
MA, English, University of Connecticut
BA, English and Philosophy, Colby College

Elizabeth Hely Dube
PhD, Art History, Brown University
BA, Harvard University

Fernando Gómez
PhD, Hispanic and Latin American Studies, Duke University
MA, Romance Studies, Duke University
MA, English, Wake Forest University
MA, English, Salamanca University
BA, English, Salamanca University

Mark Phillipson
PhD, English, University of California, Berkeley
BA, English, Columbia College

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lisa Boxill
JD, Harvard University
BA, Philosophy and American Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Emma Cryer
MA, Art History, University of California, Santa Barbara

Benjamin Hunter
MA, Music, University of Oregon
BA, Music, University of Idaho

Leigh Jones
JD, Texas Southern University
BA, Business Administration and English, Fisk University

Joan Petit
MA, English, Western Carolina University
BA, English and Women’s Studies, University of Georgia

A more detailed report on this year’s institute is available online at http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/acad_rpt_sep05.pdf. For additional information about the ARL Academy, see http://www.arl.org/arlacademy/ or contact DeEtta Jones, Director, ARL Organizational Learning Services, at deetta@arl.org.