The Lilead Fellows recently gathered in Orlando, Florida from June 23rd to June 26th, 2016 for the fourth and final in-person meeting of the intensive 18-month professional development program in which school district library supervisors work closely with mentors, educators, and experts in the field of library science. (See photos below.)
This elite group of school district administrators is passionate about the schools and communities they serve. The Fellows spent this time in Orlando reflecting upon the transformative work they began in Chicago at the first face-to-face meeting in January 2015, and continued at a Summer Institute at the University of Maryland in July 2015 and a third meeting in Columbus, Ohio in November 2015. The Lilead Fellows have spent the last 18 months tackling important and pressing goals for their individual district’s school library program and learning priorities. This time together in Orlando was spent reflecting upon the progress they have made over the course of the program for themselves and their districts, and looking toward the future of the field of school librarianship and the future of the Lilead Fellows Program. On Friday morning, the Fellows were joined by Lilead sponsors and supporters to collaborate in a World Café session where they asked tough questions about the future of school librarianship, in particular how school librarians can be involved in the implementation of ESSA.
The Fellows then took to the exhibit floor at ALA Annual Conference 2016, sponsored by Junior Library Guild, to give individual presentations on their Lilead projects, presenting evidence of the transformative change they have incurred in their districts. Presentations covered a range of topics, from professional development to inquiry-based learning to digital citizenship.
Over the past 18 months, this elite group of school district administrators has grown both individually and as a group, supporting each other and cheering each other on as they all have facilitated lasting change and impact in their districts and the field of school librarianship.
About the Lilead Fellows Program
The Lilead Fellows Program, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is an 18-month professional development program for school library supervisors. Learn more on our website and Twitter.
About the Institute for Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
The Lilead Project