APLL Graduates

To date, 92 individuals have completed APLL and an additional 35 will finish in summer 2020 (and receive their certificates at the 2021 OLA Super Conference).

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Of the graduates:

  • A total of 12 graduates (9.4%) have become a CEO either during or following the program, attributing some of their readiness and success to APLL
  • A further 6 have been an Acting CEO for at least a few months, sometimes for as long as a year
  • Additionally, 16 individuals have been promoted and taken on new and greater responsibilities, during or following APLL, and in at least a couple of cases, because of APLL
  • A total of 81 libraries (including 2 in northern Ontario), plus two provincial organizations (OLA and OLS – North) have, or have had, an APLL graduate or participant on staff, either when they were in the program or following
  • As part of the program, each APLL participant completed a local library project that was of concrete benefit to his or her library. Examples include:

    • an online Tech2Go curriculum for all staff
    • a detailed project plan to guide staff efforts to set up and ready a new branch facility
    • a style guide for social media and promotional materials
    • various policies and procedures related to the launch of a new service
    • a team building initiative to inspire and motivate the staff of a very busy branch, including part-timers.
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APLL graduates report that as a result of taking APLL, they:

  • Have more confidence in their own abilities, especially leadership and speaking with authority
  • Spend more times thinking things through before acting, therefore acting more deliberately and strategically
  • Rely on knowledge, skills and abilities they learned in APLL
  • Cultivate relationships as a core leadership practice
  • Value and continue to turn to the strong professional network created by going through the program as a cohort.
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A few impact statements:

I could not have navigated the last year without the myriad of things I learned at APLL. How the library interacts with the municipality, management styles and all forms of communication were integral to managing through 2018 and I learned it all in your [APLL] courses.

~ Kate Gibson, Branch Librarian, Georgina Public Library

APLL expanded my network of library leaders, and we really do need to work together, beyond our library organizations to offer encouragement, ideas, and support so that the library community can strive toward its potential as a connected force. Just watch us!

~ Laura Wark, CEO, Essa Township Public Library

Being a part of APLL has also put me in a really good learning mindset. Constant and continuous learning is important in our field and I think that being formally part of a course has forced me to stretch myself beyond what I might have done on my own. It has also opened up great conversations with my staff, once they know that I am openly working on my leadership skills. It builds a certain amount of credibility with them when they realize that I am vulnerable and open to learning how to improve myself. I have been able to speak much more openly with them about what works and what doesn't.

~ Aaron DeVries, Manager of Customer Engagement, St. Thomas Public Library