This past November, Lilead Fellows and Mentors from cohorts 1 and 2 gathered in Phoenix, Arizona prior to AASL’s National Conference and Exhibition, which was held from November 9th to November 11th, 2017. This year’s conference was the venue for the unveiling of AASL’s new National School Library Standards.

The last time the Lilead Fellows and Mentors from Cohort 2 met in person was in Norfolk, VA for the Summer Institute this past July. These passionate school district library leaders convened in Phoenix for the opportunity to reflect on the transformational changes occurring in their districts, reconnect, and (re)discover their  professional “Why’s”. Cohort 2 Fellows and Mentors met for three days prior to the AASL National Conference and spent their time together participating in many activities, included sharing their wins with the rest of the group and fine-tuning their action plans with a focus on outcomes that are achievable and measurable. The meeting also included a panel discussion with administrators from districts across the country to share with Fellows their goals and priorities for their district and how the library program can help meet these goals and priorities.

Over the course of the meeting in Phoenix, the Lilead Fellows and Mentors were able to share with one another the accomplishments and challenges they see in their districts, all the while empowering each other to make impactful, transformative change within their districts.

The Lilead Project also hosted an all-Fellows reception on Wednesday evening prior to the conference sessions which brought together Fellows from both cohorts to meet and continue to build connections with each other.

About the Lilead Fellows Program
The Lilead Fellows Program, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is a 12-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 them on Facebook and Twitter.