The application for the 2025 Leadership Fellows Program (LFP) is now closed.
The application for the 2027 LFP cohort is expected to open in May 2027. During the application period, ARL will update this webpage with application information and host an informational session about the program, including how to apply.
Application
Application Timeline
- Thursday, May 1, 2025: ARL issues Call for Applications
- Monday, May 12, 2025, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (EDT): Informational Session
- Thursday, June 12, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. Hawai’i Standard Time: Applications due to ARL
- July 2025: ARL notifies applications of selection decisions
- September 2025: Cohort launch
Informational Session
ARL hosted an informational session about the Leadership Fellows Program on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Application Materials
All applicants are required to submit the following materials (questions, concerns, and requests for accommodations should be sent via email to learn@arl.org):
- Application form (requires Google account; program participation also requires a Google account; a free Google account may be created at https://www.google.com/account/about/). Please be prepared to respond to the following prompts in 2,500 characters (~350 words) or less. Do not include any personal identifiable information (PII)—e.g., name, title/position, institution. As relevant, you can describe your responsibilities and institution type so long as it does not allow your PII to be recognized (e.g., do not share your specific location if your institution is the only library or archive in your city).
- Describe how this cohort-based professional development opportunity fits into your overall career goals.
- Describe the aspects of leadership in library and research environments that are most exciting to you.
- Describe what you have learned or experienced since you started in your current leadership role and how it has informed your approach to leadership.
- Describe the ways in which diversity, equity, and inclusion influence your leadership style.
- Describe the demonstrations of leadership you have seen or experienced and how they have influenced your leadership practice and philosophy.
- Confirmation of institutional support via this form (PDF) by the institution’s executive leader (for example, university librarian/dean/director).
- Completed forms should be submitted via email to Mira Swearer at mira@arl.org either directly from the executive leader or with the executive leader cc’d.
Selection Process
Application materials are evaluated by the LFP Selection Working Group (SWG) using the criteria and guidance developed by the LFP Task Force. The SWG returns a ranked list of recommendations based on the evaluation of the application material to the LFP Task Force. The task force makes the final selection informed by the SWG rankings as well as cohort composition.
ARL staff will prepare the materials for the SWG to separate personally identifiable information (PII) from applicants’ responses to the reflection prompts. All materials must be received by ARL via the application form or email unless approval is granted for an alternative arrangement or accommodation. Application materials may be accepted after the due date based on the capacity of ARL staff and the SWG.
Masked Application Materials
The LFP application review will be conducted without sharing applicants’ PII with the SWG. PII is any information that could allow the specific identity of an applicant to be known: such as name, institution, title. While this information is collected via the application form, it will not be provided to the SWG.
Evaluation Criteria
Each application will be reviewed and scored by each SWG member using five evaluation criteria. Without including PII, applicants are encouraged to include details of previous achievements, current efforts, and/or future intentions as relevant to each category.
Higher scores will be awarded for applications that provide clear, relevant evidence for each criteria and include multiple, specific examples of action and impact where applicable.
Interest in Senior Leadership
Strong applications will show a commitment to taking on a broader scope of responsibility; and have a keen interest in advancing equity and diversity within higher education and research libraries.
Awareness of Self & Communities
Strong applications will address applicants’ strengths and areas for growth; the impact of identities, values, and beliefs on how people experience situations; and the role of communities, relationships, and collaboration in the applicants’ careers.
Growth & Learning Mindset
Strong applications will demonstrate applicants’ curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm for the profession as well as motivation to grow personally and professionally.
Value from Program Participation
Strong applications will describe individualized benefits of program participation for applicants based on their specific needs, goals, experiences, and circumstances and articulate applicants’ intention to engage the components of the LFP.
Commitment to Service
Strong applications will demonstrate applicants’ commitment to serving as leaders, working with and supporting peers across the profession, interest in improvement and innovation for their organizations and the larger profession, and awareness of the role of systems within and across professional settings.
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the Leadership Fellows Program, you must be an established senior or emerging executive leader of a library, archive, and/or library system:
- Established is meant to describe one who has served in your position for approximately five years or more; emerging is one who has served in your current position for approximately three years or less.
- Titles may vary as administrative structures differ by institution (senior titles may include assistant/associate director/dean/university librarian; executive titles may include director/dean/university librarian).
- Responsibilities should include direct contributions to the oversight of the institution and informing high-level, broad strategies and organizational management.
Tuition
Tuition for the thirteen-month program is US$9,600 for professionals employed in ARL member libraries, US$11,500 for all others, to be paid at the beginning of the program.
Tuition covers the following items:
- Expenses for administering and delivering the LFP
- Assessment tools administered during the program
- Program materials and audiovisual services for all events
- Two in-person ARL Learning Summits
- Two ARL Fall Association Meetings
- Two in-person site visits (with additional support from site visit hosts)
In addition to tuition, a fellow’s institution will be responsible for the following items:
- All expenses associated with the fellow’s attendance at two in-person ARL Learning Summits
- All expenses associated with the fellow’s attendance at two in-person site visits
- All expenses associated with the fellow’s attendance at two ARL Fall Association Meetings
- Release time so that the fellow can fully participate in the program components
A limited amount of scholarship funds are available to support select members of this cohort with expenses related to program participation.
