Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Inc

The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) will develop a pilot leadership institute for directors and managers working in rural and/or small libraries. Over an 18-month period, 30 individuals from a variety of rural communities and diverse populations across the country will engage in residential, online, and conference experiences to build their capacity as leaders. The leadership institute also will focus on strengthening community leadership, building ARSL’s organizational capacity, and evaluating the pilot for future effectiveness and scalability. The curriculum will leverage the Educopia Institute’s IMLS-funded NEXUS: Leading Across Boundaries model and other nationally recognized instructors and curriculum to develop a customized series of immersive learning experiences for participants. Amendment 2023: $226,046 in additional funds were awarded in 2023 to support refining the existing curriculum, training an additional 30 people working in small and rural libraries, evaluating the program, and creating a sustainability model to support the leadership institute in the future.