ACRL in New Orleans

ACRL programs at the ALA Annual Conference

ALA’s 130th Annual Conference was held June 23–28, 2011, in New Orleans. Approximately 20,000 librarians, library support staff, exhibitors, writers, educators, publishers, and special guests attended the conference. Ed. note: Thanks to the ACRL members who summarized programs to make this report possible. From idea to innovation to implementation: How teams make it happen. Jason Young (president of LeadSmart and author of the book Culturetopia: The Ultimate High-Performance Workplace) was the featured speaker at Lisa Hinchliffe’s ACRL President’s Program. To a standing room only crowd, Young challenged attendees to come together and to “get in rhythm” in order to be creative, innovative, and make significant changes at our libraries. Young’s high energy program showcased how intentional teamwork can result in quality staff performance. During his program, he expressed that teams can be highly successful if there is trust among members, the expertise of staff is tapped into and used efficiently, alignment and commitment to the organization’s mission/vision is a priority for everyone at every level, and measurement and accountability is part of the culture. He used his branded TEAM framework to shape the program. Young additionally challenged the attendees to inspire those who they interact with. He often repeated that “leadership is not about title or position, instead it’s about influence.” He asked the crowd, “What influence do you produce every day?” It’s an interesting question for us all to reflect on in our interactions with colleagues, students…READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.