Take Me To Your Leader:
The CLA/CLC Connecticut Leadership Institute

Are you ready to lead? In these turbulent times, leaders are in demand more than ever. Creativity, sound decision-making, change, strategic planning, public relations, and branding are all just words - until you put skill, knowledge and passion behind them.

Designed to offer new opportunities for networking, deepening and broadening your approaches, and enhancing your personal professional development as a leader, the Connecticut Leadership Institute will help you increase your capacity to lead and manage in the library world.

John Blyberg is the Assistant Director for Innovation and User Experience at the Darien Library in Connecticut. He was formerly the System Administrator and Lead Developer for the Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan. Prior to working in libraries, John was the IT manager for the North American office of the British car company, Lotus Engineering. He is an open source software advocate and considers unfettered collaboration and participation the primary intent of information technology. To that end, he has authored a number of open source projects, including SOPAC, Locum, and Insurge, a social catalog application suite that allows libraries to focus holistically on digital strategy. John was named a Library Journal "Mover and Shaker," took first prize in Talis' "Mashing-up the Library" competition, and speaks nationally and internationally about libraries, user experience, innovation, and technology. John has also received the 2009 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award for his work on the SOPAC Application Suite. He has written for Library Journal, American Libraries, and has contributed chapters to several published books. He also blogs at blyberg.net.

Thomas W. Galante is chief executive officer and library director of The Queens Borough Public Library. Queens Library is a not-for-profit corporation with revenues of $128 million employing 1,700 people at 62 public libraries in Queens County, New York. In 2008, Queens Library set another record with more than 23 million items circulated, more than any other library system in the United States. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Bonaventure University, a Master of Business Administration with distinction from Hofstra University, and a Master of Library Science from Queens College, City University of New York. Galante serves on the Board of Directors of the Wilton Library Association and chairs its Technology Committee.

Walter Harrison is President of The University of Hartford. He is a graduate of Trinity College and earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan. After an interim of three years to serve as a captain in the United States Air Force, President Harrison earned his doctorate from the University of California - Davis. Under President Harrison's tenure, The University of Hartford has become a recognized leader in helping to improve public schools, created a vibrant relationship with the Greater Hartford community and is experiencing a period of energy and momentum unmatched in history.

R. David Lankes is director of the Information Institute of Syracuse, and an associate professor in Syracuse University's School of Information Studies. Lankes has always been interested in combining theory and practice to create active research projects that make a difference. Past projects include the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, the Gateway to Education Materials, AskERIC and the Virtual Reference Desk. Lankes' more recent work involves how participatory concepts can reshape libraries and credibility. This work expands his ongoing work to understand the integration of human expertise in information systems. Lankes is a passionate advocate for libraries and their essential role in today's society. He also seeks to understand how information approaches and technologies can be used to transform industries. In this capacity he has served on advisory boards and study teams in the fields of libraries, telecommunications, education, and transportation including at the National Academies. He has been appointed as a visiting fellow at the National library of Canada, the Harvard School of Education and the first fellow of ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy.

Lisa Lazarek is a labor attorney with Kainen, Escalera, & McHale P.C. in Hartford. She has a J.D. from University of Connecticut, and is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association (Labor ≈ Employment Section). She is Co-Author: with Kenneth R. Plumb, "Labor Relations and Employment Law: Developments in Connecticut in 1994," 69 Conn. B.J. No. 4, 313, August 1995; with Kenneth R. Plumb, "Labor Relations and Employment Law: Developments in Connecticut in 1995," 70 Conn. B.J. No. 2, 85, April 1996.

Bernard A. Margolis is the New York State Librarian. He served as the President of Boston Public Library from 1997 to 2008. Mr. Margolis holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Librarianship, both from the University of Denver. His library experience includes management and executive positions in libraries and library systems in Colorado and Michigan. Prior to moving to Boston, he served as Director/CEO of the Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs (from 1988 to 1997). Mr. Margolis' service includes a number of elected positions within the American Library Association, leadership in the Association of Research Libraries, service as a professional delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries, and service on the boards of library organizations in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Michigan. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Library Administration and Bottom Line: The Magazine of Library Financial Management. He has contributed to several books and has published articles in American Libraries, Public Libraries, and Library Journal.

"Organizational citizens are the result of strong leadership and institutional culture, combined with individual motivation." This is the central theme you hear from Annette Rogers whether she is managing Academic Services, teaching for the Barney School of Business, or performing her duties as Assistant Dean. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business, Master of Science in Organizational Behavior and is currently working on a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Joseph Swetcky is the Finance Director in the town of Farmington. Previously he was Finance Director and Interim Town Manager in Wethersfield.

Sharon Weiner is the W. Wayne Booker Endowed Chair of Information Literacy at Purdue University. Dr. Weiner is Co-Chair of the National Forum on Information Literacy and Co-Chair of the Peabody Academic Library Leadership Institute. Previously, she was the Dean of Library Services at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and the Director of Peabody Library at Vanderbilt. Her research interests focus on academic library leadership; the role and contribution of the library to higher education; and the organization of the literature of emerging and cross-disciplinary fields.