JACKSON — The Mississippi Library Commission has announced the graduation of the 2013 class of the Mississippi Library Leadership Institute. Twenty-six rising stars in the library profession participated in a year-long program designed to grow the next generation of library leaders in the state of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Library Leadership Institute is a transformational experience requiring participants to attend four three-day training sessions, study leadership theory between sessions, and undertake a community project. The Institute emphasizes experiences that build strong relationships with community partners and involve a very high level of intensity and risk-taking.
Erin Busbea Stringer, director at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System, is among the graduates. She said, “This institute was a very intense, yet rewarding experience. Not only did I learn various skills that will help me excel as a leader, but I also was able to network with a diverse group of librarians that will be able to provide support as I continue to grow within the library field.”
Participants in the Leadership Institute represented 21 different institutions from across the state including K-12 schools, public libraries, community colleges, private colleges, four-year universities, archives and state agencies. Participants were selected in a competitive application process that required written statements on the future of librarianship, the applicant’s vision of service, and how participation in the Institute would benefit the individual and his or her community.
Project Director Jennifer Wann Walker said, “Participation in the Institute is an intensive professional experience that requires a significant commitment of time and energy; however, it is also extremely rewarding and fun for participants who emerge from the program poised to position their libraries and communities for success in an increasingly complex, information-centric world.”
The Mississippi Library Leadership Institute is made possible in part by a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Mississippi Library Commission.
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