Section: Conference News

My Emerging Leader Experience: Abigail Sparling

ALA Annual Conference, Columns, Conference News, My ALCTS Experience

2018–2019 has been the year of raising my hand and finding my professional home in ALCTS. My first ALA Annual Conference was in 2018, where I attended an amazing session put on by the ALCTS Electronic Resources Interest Group. Motivated by the speakers, I stayed for the business meeting after the session and found myself volunteering to co-chair the interest group. It wasn’t long after that I learned about the ALA Emerging Leaders Program. The program seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about the structure and governance of ALA and my potential place within it. I was delighted and honored to be named the 2019 ALCTS Emerging Leader.

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My ALCTS Experience: Shelby Strommer

ALA Annual Conference, Columns, Conference News, My ALCTS Experience

In June 2019 I had the opportunity to attend the ALA Annual Conference as a recipient of the Jan Merrill-Oldham Development Grant. In recognition of Jan Merrill-Oldham’s commitment to preservation education and mentorship, the grant provides early-career preservation practitioners an opportunity to further their professional development by attending the Annual Conference. I was honored to receive this award and thrilled to have the opportunity to find ideas and inspiration to help me serve as an effective steward of our library collections and an effective mentor to my student employees.

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Self Care Is Not Selfish: Preventing Burnout

ALA Midwinter Meeting, Conference News

The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) presented the session titled “Self Care is Not Selfish: Preventing Burnout” at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference on Saturday, June 22. Emily Clasper, Janie Hermann, Djaz Zulida, Carson Block, Kyle Courtney, and Sarah Houghton presented their experiences with self-care and burnout — a prevalent issue in libraries.

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Matrix Management in Libraries: Exploring a Collaborative & Cross-Functional Management Model to Provide Greater Value & Increase Impact

ALA Annual Conference, Conference News

The Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) presented the program “Matrix Management in Libraries: Exploring a Collaborative and Cross-Functional Management Model to Provide Greater Value and Increase Impact” at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference. The session featured staff from the George Washington University Libraries and Academic Innovation (GW LAI), who work within a matrix management environment. Bill Gillis, director of research services, gave context and an overview of the transition process. Hannah Sommers, senior associate dean and deputy university librarian, shared a leadership perspective on why matrix management has benefitted GW LAI. Peter Cohn, also director of research services, explained how matrix management is enacted day-to-day. Shira Ella, art and design librarian, presented on the experience of working as a front-line librarian within the matrix management environment.

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