Carlette Washington-Hoagland, Assessment and Staff Development Coordinator at the University of Iowa Libraries, is among 20 librarians selected for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership and Career Development Program. The selected librarians represent a diverse combination of library experience, cultural backgrounds and research interest areas. Washington-Hoagland was selected from a very competitive applicant pool.

“Carlette has been an asset to the UI Libraries for many years, and I’m so pleased that she has earned this honor,” says Nancy L. Baker, University Librarian. “She has managed an excellent staff development program at a time of tremendous change in libraries and her work in assessment has helped us respond to the needs of today’s library users.”

ARL sponsors the program to address the needs of research libraries for a more diverse professional workforce that can contribute to library success in serving increasingly diverse scholarly and learning communities. The 18-month program prepares mid-career librarians from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to take on increasingly demanding leadership roles in research libraries. It consists of several components: Leadership Institutes hosted across the country throughout the program, a Career Coach and personal visit to an ARL library and a research project related to one of the ARL strategic directions. Through contacts with experts and research library leaders, these program elements are combined to allow participants to explore the strategic issues faced by research libraries in the digital environment, leadership roles within research libraries and career development options and opportunities.