University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies will use its grant to implement the Lilead Fellows Program, continuing educative initiatives designed specifically to address the professional development needs of district-level school library supervisors. An initial group of 25 Lilead Fellows from school districts across the country will engage in an 18-month program of learning and sharing through a summer institute; networking sessions at national professional conferences; and the Lilead Network, an online community for library supervisors. This project was developed in response to the findings of an IMLS research study that collected baseline data about the roles, responsibilities, demographics, educational backgrounds, and challenges of individuals responsible for managing library services in large and medium-sized school districts across the country.