Claire Kelley, an SJSU iSchool student, recently participated in the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders Program, an opportunity she hadn’t initially expected to pursue but found deeply rewarding.

Claire’s path to librarianship hasn’t been a straight line. Originally from Ohio, she lived in Brooklyn for about 15 years, working in book publishing before relocating to Boulder, Colorado. Now, while working remotely for a New York-based publishing company, she also works as a substitute at Boulder Public Library and in their makerspaces. Claire says she is taking the MLIS program at a pace of one to two classes per semester, allowing her to balance her studies with her work in book publishing.

Discovering the Emerging Leaders Program

Already juggling her work in book publishing, substitute library work and pursuing her MLIS at her own pace, Claire still found herself drawn to the Emerging Leaders Program, a highly selective leadership development opportunity for early-career library workers. Participants, often from diverse backgrounds and library settings, collaborate on real-world projects proposed by ALA divisions, round tables or offices. The program kicks off with an in-person networking and leadership session at an ALA conference and culminates in a poster presentation at ALA Annual. You can learn more directly from ALA’s Emerging Leaders page: https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/leadership/emergingleaders

Claire first heard about the program through word-of-mouth and social media, noticing that past SJSU students had participated. That small connection sparked her curiosity: “I thought, I want to be a part of this, too,” she shared. The application process required an interest statement and two recommendations. Claire focused her essay on her interest in progressive librarianship, particularly the work of the Progressive Librarians Guild and the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), both of which she had recently begun exploring more deeply. That choice ended up shaping her Emerging Leaders experience in big ways.

Attending LibLearnX and the Power of Sponsorship

After being accepted, Claire was thrilled to learn that SRRT would sponsor her. Sponsorships often help cover the cost of attending conferences like LibLearnX and ALA Annual. SRRT’s sponsorship made it possible for Claire to attend LibLearnX in Phoenix, Arizona.

For many Emerging Leaders, LibLearnX is their first major ALA conference, and it sets the tone for the collaborative experience ahead. In addition to meeting her cohort, Claire appreciated being able to connect in person with professionals from across the field. “We spent the morning doing some activities, like icebreakers about getting to know each other,” she said. “It was really fun to hear what people were interested in, just even on a personal level, but also you could really get a sense of their passion for librarianship.”

Claire described LibLearnX as electric. Beyond the Emerging Leaders kickoff events, one experience stood out: the Sunrise Celebration. This early-morning event honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and brought together diverse voices from across ALA’s membership. Hearing excerpts from MLK’s final speech and singing “We Shall Overcome” hand-in-hand with fellow librarians was, Claire said, “one of the most moving moments of my life.”

Working with the Office for Intellectual Freedom

The Emerging Leaders program isn’t just about networking; it is a hands-on experience. Each cohort member joins a team that collaborates on a project submitted by an ALA division or round table. These projects change yearly, addressing emerging issues and long-term initiatives in the field. As part of her Emerging Leaders cohort, Claire was placed on a team working with the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). Their project was to survey MLIS programs across the U.S. to understand how (or if) they teach intellectual freedom topics, a pressing concern in today’s climate of book bans and censorship challenges. Her team is designing a survey, reaching out to library programs and planning a poster presentation for ALA Annual in Philadelphia. There’s even talk of turning their findings into a published article.

One of Claire’s biggest takeaways from the program was meeting other library workers from a variety of settings: academic, public, school, medical and more. “It was really interesting to meet people who are new to librarianship,” she said. “Not everybody was young. Some people were new to librarianship after switching from another career. But it was a really diverse and interesting group of people.”

Advice for Future Leaders

Reflecting on her experience, Claire highlighted the importance of being proactive even before applying. “I attended a meeting on Zoom where they were talking about how student membership has dropped off,” she said, referring to SRRT. “They were trying to brainstorm how to get more student members involved, because there’s so much to learn.”

Claire encourages any SJSU iSchool student considering Emerging Leaders to go for it. “I would encourage anyone to maybe start that way,” she said. “Attend a conference, attend ALA, attend your state conference… even as a student or early career professional, you can share something that’s innovative or interesting that’s happening at your library.”

She also recommended exploring ALA round tables (like SRRT), attending conferences when possible and even just showing up to meetings or webinars. Claire’s story is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about curiosity, community and courage.

“Slowly, slowly I’ve started to kind of understand what are these round tables I could be part of,” she reflected. “There’s so much to learn as a young student, as an early professional, from our elders and from people who have taken on these leadership roles.”

Interested in applying to the Emerging Leaders Program? Applications typically open in summer for the following year. Learn more here: https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/leadership/emergingleaders

Want to explore ALA’s round tables and find your people? Start here: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/rts