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Visiting Program Officers


The ARL Visiting Program Officer (VPO) program provides opportunities for staff in member libraries and archives to contribute to special projects and programs, either in whole or in part, in order to advance the agenda of the Association. The program provides highly visible professional development opportunities for outstanding staff members and serves the ARL membership as a whole by extending the capacity of ARL to undertake additional activities.

The scope of ARL’s agenda suggests a range of issues where a visiting program officer could make a contribution. A scope of work description is created once a project is identified. The member institution supports the salary of the staff person and ARL supports or seeks grant funding for travel or other project-related expenses. Depending on the nature of the project and the circumstances of the individual, a VPO may spend extended periods of time in Washington, DC, or may conduct most of the project from her/his home institution.

Individuals who wish to propose a project they could advance for ARL, or those who wish to nominate a member employee to serve as a VPO, may contact Andrew Pace, executive director (andrew@arl.org). Each appointment has its own time frame and will be dependent on securing support from the potential VPO’s home institution and identifying the financial resources needed to undertake the assignment.


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