We are pleased to announce that Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) has been awarded an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant in the amount of $45,000 by the Indiana State Library. The grant will allow us to offer Libraries Engaging Appreciatively for Positive Change (LEAP) to Indiana library staff in 2022.

LEAP is a professional development opportunity offering an introduction to Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to engagement. It is designed to give Indiana library staff another tool to engage and re-engage with each other and their communities, one conversation and one person at a time, and is intended to help participants feel equipped and inspired to work towards engaging their communities in new ways as we continue to navigate our current realities. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methods for managing change focus on drawing out and building on existing strengths using collaborative conversations, dialogue, and stories.

LEAP begins with a full-day virtual event followed by the chance to participate in six, monthly, 90-minute virtual learning sessions. Both will be facilitated by Maureen McKenna of Return on Energy Consulting, an internationally respected and highly sought-out expert in the field of Appreciative Inquiry, along with MCLS’s Engagement, Consulting, and Training team. This opportunity is designed to create a community of Indiana library staff that will continue to learn from and support one another as they apply their knowledge to their own work and life experiences.

Save the date for January 19 for LEAP 2022, with LEAP Forward monthly virtual learning sessions held on the third Wednesday of each month February-July 2022. Registration is only $40 and includes the LEAP Day event, access to six coaching sessions, and all materials and resources. The program is open to all staff of Indiana libraries of all types, with a limit of 100 participants.

This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act, administered by the Indiana State Library.

“The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities.” To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.