ILEAD Maine

Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover (ILEAD) USA Maine is a continuing education event designed to help library staff understand and respond to user needs through the application of participatory technology tools. ILEAD USA Maine brings together teams of library staff, mentors, instructors and community members to work cooperatively over the course of nine months to address a community need. The program combines leadership and technology skills with community collaboration to meet the identified need and form or strengthen the partnership between the libraries and the communities they serve.

ILEAD USA Maine program teams identify a single group project of the team’s design that will address at least one identified need within their communities of users. For example, a project could address and meet the needs of a community related to economic development. Teams use the skills and training acquired throughout the sessions to develop, implement, manage and evaluate the projects. In addition,each team member identifies a user or patron within the team member’s community who will serve as an advisor and a conduit for feedback about programs and services.

Started by the Illinois State Library with a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant from IMLS, ILEAD USA is the nationwide expansion of this program to partner states. The program schedule consists of 3 face to face immersion sessions and 2 intersession periods.

Maine Steering Committee:

Stephanie Zurinski	Project Manager
Deborah Clark	Assistant Project Manager
Jared Leadbetter	Head of Instructor Corps- Technology
Valerie Osborne	Instructor Corps- Leadership
Janet McKenney	Chair, Steering Committee
Jamie Ritter	Steering Committee
Adam Fisher	Facilitator
Jenny Melvin	Logistics

If you have any questions, please contact your district consultant via the Contact Us page.