The application for the 2024 Leadership and Career Development Program is now closed.
Review the application, eligibility, and tuition for the 2024 Leadership and Career Development Program.
Application
Application Timeline
- Monday, April 15, 2024: ARL issues Call for Applications
- Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 4:00–5:00 p.m. (EDT): Informational Session
- Tuesday, May 28, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. Hawaii–Aleutian time (UTC–10:00): Applications due to ARL
- July 2024: ARL notifies applications of selection decisions
- September 2024: Cohort launch
Informational Session
ARL hosted an informational session on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 4:00–5:00 p.m. eastern daylight time, to share more about the LCDP and answer questions.
Application Materials
All applicants are required to submit the following materials (questions, concerns, and requests for accommodations should be sent via email to dei@arl.org):
- Online 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 aligns with your overall career goals and/or your personal identity growth.
- Describe a time when you worked in, with, and/or through community to advance diversity, equity, and/or inclusion.
- Describe a demonstration of leadership you have seen or experienced and how it influenced your leadership practice and philosophy.
- Describe a professional learning opportunity or challenge you’ve encountered that had a meaningful impact on your career trajectory.
- 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 LCDP Selection Working Group (SWG) using the criteria and guidance developed by the LCDP Task Force. The SWG returns a ranked list of recommendations based on the evaluation of the application material to the LCDP 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 LCDP 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 Leadership/Administration
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 LCDP.
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the LCDP, you must fulfill the following requirements:
- Identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or a Person of Color (IBPOC)
- Possess a minimum of 5 years of full time experience in a library, archive, or information professional in any setting
- Demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing leadership roles within an institutional setting or within the profession
Tuition
Tuition for the thirteen-month long fellowship is $7,100 for professionals employed in ARL member libraries, $8,300 for all others, to be paid at the beginning of the program.
Tuition covers the following items:
- Expenses for administering and delivering the LCDP
- Assessment tools administered during the program
- Program materials and audiovisual services for all events
- Two in-person ARL Learning Summits
- Two in-person site visits (with additional support from site visit hosts)
- The CNI Fall Membership Meeting
- Two ARL Fall Association Meetings
In addition to tuition, a fellow’s institution will be responsible for the following items:
- time release for all program components
- financial and coverage of expenses, including travel, lodging, meals, and incidentals, for all in-person program activities:
- two (2) ARL Learning Summits + Fall ARL Association Meetings
- two (2) ARL Member Institution Site Visits
- (optional) Spring CNI Membership Meeting
- providing opportunities for the fellow to engage with library senior and/or executive leadership to explore the fellow’s LCDP Professional Development Plan as well as opportunities for sponsorship,
A limited amount of scholarship funds are available to support select members of this cohort with expenses related to program participation.
