For immediate release:
September 3, 2010

For more information, contact:
Mark A. Puente
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
mpuente@arl.org

Call for Nominations and Applications: Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP) 2011–12

Deadline October 15, 2010

Washington DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is seeking nominations and applications for the 2011–12 Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP). The LCDP is an 18-month fellowship program to prepare mid-career librarians from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to take on increasingly demanding leadership roles in ARL libraries. The program addresses the need for research libraries to develop a more diverse professional workforce that can contribute to library success in serving the research, teaching, and learning of increasingly diverse scholarly and learning communities. This goal is accomplished, in part, by providing LCDP participants with meaningful exposure to the major strategic issues that are shaping the future of research libraries.

Program Design

Participants will learn about research library issues at the strategic level and be expected to engage in a research project on a topic related to one of the three strategic directions of ARL: influencing public policies, reshaping scholarly communication, transforming research libraries. Each LCDP participant will be expected to complete this research project during the fellowship and to share outcomes with the broader academic library community through publication, invited presentations, or other mechanisms.

The 2011–12 program runs from January 2011 through June 2012 and includes:

• A two-day Leadership Institute held during the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego CA (January 6–7, 2011)
• Two four-day LCDP Institutes: March 14–17, 2011, and April 23–26, 2012 (to be confirmed, locations to be announced)
• Online facilitated discussions and webinars related to the ARL strategic directions (to be scheduled)
• An appointed Career Coach (usually an ARL director or senior staff in an ARL library)
• A personalized visit to the Career Coach’s institution
• Training on identifying, developing, and conducting a research project related to one of the ARL strategic directions
• A Closing Ceremony, held during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim CA (June 2012)

Who Should Apply?

Applications are encouraged from librarians and other professional staff from traditionally underrepresented groups who meet all three of the following qualifications:

• Have three to ten years of professional post-MLIS experience
• Show potential for leadership in a research library
• Currently work in an ARL library or have a strong desire to work in a research library

Application Requirements

• Résumé or CV
• Personal essay
• Description of proposed research project
• Letter of support from the candidate’s supervisor
• Letter of commitment from the candidate’s library director
• Tuition of $5,000 for 18 months (payable in two installments of $2,500 to be invoiced by ARL)

Applications are due by October 15, 2010, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. To apply or to learn more about the program, visit http://www.arl.org/diversity/lcdp/.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.