Growing Library Leaders for the Future

Professional development opportunities are important for employees at all levels of an organization. Employees benefit by staying current in their field and advancing their career. Employers benefit by having a better skilled workforce. This chapter focuses on professional development based on the yearlong leadership institute run by the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Leadership Development Committee. The development of the CAL Leadership Institute (CALLI) will be discussed along with the curriculum, structure, fees, mentoring, networking, accessibility, and benefits of CALLI to participants and the larger library community. The authors conducted two surveys and eight interviews to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from current and past CALLI participants. A literature review of current trends in professional development and library leadership programs was completed. The future of professional development in this area is also explored.