RLLF in the Rear-View Mirror: A Report on the Impact and Value of the ARL Academic Library Leadership Fellows Program

Abstract

Four participants in the Association for Research Libraries (ARL) Research Library Leadership Fellows program surveyed the 2004-2006 and 2007-2008 cohorts and the sponsoring library directors to ascertain the impact and the value of the program. The results of the survey show evidence that the program has had a significant impact on and has been of value to the program participants and the sponsoring ARL directors.

A case for succession planning

“…As acknowledged, although most university libraries have little or no control over hiring, and often these positions are not hired internally, many academic libraries have participated in a few national initiatives designed to prepare future library leaders. Since 2004, the ARL has sponsored the Research Library Leadership Fellows (RLLF), a leadership development program established to introduce "aspiring library leaders to the organizational and leadership challenges faced by directors of large academic libraries" (German et al, 2009). Cohorts of aspiring library leaders nominated by their institutions participate in training and mentoring workshops with various ARL library directors.…”

Leadership and the Development of the American Library Association’s Core Competences of Librarianship

“…Timperley, for example, argued that transformational leadership focused on the "heroic solo-leader construction of leadership" (Timperley, 2005, 399), and Allix (2000) argues that Burns's theory cannot be sustained over time because its conception of the leader/follower relationship is undemocratic. The recent LIS related inquiry into leadership is focused on developing future leaders, such as exploring ways to engage new professionals in leadership (De Long, 2009) or reviewing the impact of leadership development programs (Kalin, 2008;German, Owen, Parchuck, and Sandore, 2009). Research methodologies into leadership are functionalist in approach.…”