Leadership Symposium, January 2024
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is accepting applications for the 2024 cohort of the Kaleidoscope Program. The ARL Kaleidoscope Program is a two-year commitment that aims to prepare IBPOC graduate students for purposeful and consequential careers in research libraries and archives through enriched leadership development and community-building opportunities.
Program Benefits
Benefits of the Kaleidoscope Program include:
- Financial Support
- Tuition support of up to US$10,000 over two years to defray the cost of an ALA-accredited master’s program*
- Professional development funding up to US$2,000
- Virtual educational sessions
- Attendance at the ARL Leadership Symposium
- Attendance at an ARL member institution site visit
- A formal mentorship program
- Peer-mentoring community
- Individual coaching
* Tuition-support funds are disbursed in stipends of up to US$2,500 across a maximum of four academic terms in which a scholar is enrolled in at least 6 eligible credit hours.
The Kaleidoscope Program is funded by ARL member institutions. The program was established in 2000 as the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW) and was renamed Kaleidoscope in 2019.
Program Goal and Objectives
The Kaleidoscope Program aims to:
- Create a scholars-centered community of IBPOC leaders in research libraries and archives
- Support the persistence of scholars in memory and information graduate programs
- Facilitate connections between scholars and emerging and established leaders in research libraries and archives
- Prepare scholars to navigate post-degree professional settings
- Provoke critical inquiry and action toward just and equitable research information environments
Applicant Eligibility
The Kaleidoscope Program is designed for emerging and expanding first-level leaders interested in pursuing a career in a research library or archive. To be eligible to participate in the Kaleidoscope Program, applicants must fulfill the following requirements:
- Identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or a Person of Color (IBPOC)
- Be a resident of the US or Canada
- Be accepted into a graduate program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA)
- Demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing a career in a research library or archive
To Apply
Applications are due by Monday, May 13, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. Hawaiʻi standard time.
Informational Session
ARL is hosting an informational session on Wednesday, April 17, 4:00–5:00 p.m. eastern daylight time, to share more about the Kaleidoscope Program and answer questions. A recording of the session will be posted.
For Zoom details and more information about the program and the application process, visit ARL.org/kaleidoscope.
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of research libraries in Canada and the US whose vision is to create a trusted, equitable, and inclusive research and learning ecosystem and prepare library leaders to advance this work in strategic partnership with member libraries and other organizations worldwide. ARL’s mission is to empower and advocate for research libraries and archives to shape, influence, and implement institutional, national, and international policy. ARL develops the next generation of leaders and enables strategic cooperation among partner institutions to benefit scholarship and society. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.
