Do

Identify the part(s) of your plan you were able to implement (given the nature of leadership work, your project may actually continue beyond submission of your Capstone Portfolio).

I was able to organize and carry out the Summer Retreat. Once I had an idea of topics that were of interest to the membership, I sent out the program proposal form identifying these topics so that members who had some expertise in these areas could propose a session to meet the needs of membership.

Artificial intelligence was a top vote getter, and one presenter offered a session on that topic. I chose AI as the topic for the online learning course I hoped to develop for the Office of Public Instruction. 

Library culture and collaboration were the other top vote getters. One session focused on collaboration. I think the concept of library culture pervaded most of the proposed sessions, as opposed to being the topic of just one.  

 I was hoping I would not need to present, but one presenter had to withdraw. This obstacle created an opportunity to share recent training from the Law for Librarians conference I attended two weeks prior to the Summer Retreat. I will continue to be a Law for Librarian trainer for the next two years. I was able to design my online learning course, AI and the School Librarian. OPI is currently reviewing the course prior to publishing. I intend to take what I learned from designing that course and apply it to other courses potentially published on the MLA website. 

Another unforeseen opportunity arose during this project that impacted it. I was fortunate enough to present at the Utah Library Association/Mountain Plains Library Association annual conference in Salt Lake City May 8-10. One of my presentations was on future thinking and libraries. The second was on how librarians can use Perplexity AI. 

How successful was your action plan at addressing the challenge? 

I think the action plan was successful at addressing the ongoing need for PD for school librarians. I think this work needs to continue so that more school librarians across the state become active members of MLA. Our attendance increased 37% from last year, which can be attributed to many factors, including advance notice of the topics on the agenda and early and consistent messaging about the event. 

Which stakeholders and association practice or program were impacted?

School librarians, as the primary attendees and presenters were impacted the most. MLA board members, including our president and executive director, who attended the retreat, were able to see firsthand what the event is like. Their presence also showed school librarians that we are a valued membership group. The MLA board has pledged to actively support recruiting school librarian members. The Office of Public Instruction was impacted by learning the lack of online learning courses specifically for school librarians is an issue. 

Evidence of Impact

Do : Evidence 1-11

How were your four chosen competencies used in the implementation of your project? 

Technological Facility: I worked diligently to learn and apply technology skills to this project. Electronic collaboration with my co-chair and online communication with the membership were invaluable and constant. My experience with learning how to design accessible online learning courses was essential to the development of my online course. Presenting in Salt Lake required me to use a headset microphone, which sounds silly, but I have never needed one to present before, so it was a new experience.

Continuing Education: the driving force behind this project. In addition to providing Continuing Education, I engaged in it to prepare for my online course. I also engaged in Continuing Education by participating in the ALA’s Law for Librarian training.

Foundational Competency: Cultivate Socially Just Learning Environments: another driving force for this project. I strongly believe that school librarians in Montana do not have equitable access to professional development when compared to other content area teachers. My colleagues share this belief. When coupled with how little attention the MLA and OPI’s Learning Hub had historically paid to school librarians, I felt this was a challenge that needed to be overcome. By organizing PD opportunities in more than one format (face to face) I think progress was made in this competency. MLA better understands the needs of school librarians, too. 

Association Leadership pathway: Organizing with Skill: Taking the lead on organizing a statewide conference for librarians from across a large state like Montana is not for the faint of heart. My first year doing this was rather haphazard for a variety of reasons. This year, with TLI’s guidance, I planned, organized, and implemented my project with considerably more finesse and skill. I was able to build my own capacity which helped me lead others in the successful completion of the Summer Retreat. 

What obstacles, if any, did you encounter? How did you address them?

A big obstacle was the venue. We were hoping that the Great Falls College-MSU campus would host us again, but unexpected construction prohibited us from using the space. We pivoted to Missoula College, a similar community college in Missoula, MT, where my co-chair lives. She was able to secure the space for free. 

Another obstacle was when a presenter withdrew from the agenda. My co-chair and I were hoping to not have to present, but given the fact we had just exactly enough presenters to fill the day-long conference before the withdrawal, we ended up presenting. Not having to present would have meant would we had more people interested in presenting than last year. All in all, this worked out rather well, because we both had just attended the Law for Librarians training conducted by ALA. Our free training meant training other librarians in turn. 

One obstacle that we were not able to overcome was a situation in which a seasoned presenter who declined to attend because of the timing of the event. In her school district, any PD credit she earns after July 1 allows her to opt out of attending our state MFPE Educator's Conference in October. With the retreat being held in June, she would not be able to use her credits in this way. She is from a small district very close to Missoula, where the Summer Retreat was being held, but she was not willing to present or attend without the added benefit from her school district. I had never heard of such a benefit. Being from a AA district that does not require attendance at the MFPE conference, I was unaware of this type of arrangement. My co-chair and I chose to arrange a June date for the event because we quite honestly did not want this event overshadowing our summer break, and because I needed to complete the even for my Capstone Project. One of the things I have learned about this kind of leadership work is that you cannot make everybody happy. While I want nothing more than to meet the needs of all school librarians, as the leader who is volunteering countless hours to provide this level of quality professional development, I do think that my thoughts and feelings on something like the date and location of this event need to be carefully considered. And that holds true for anyone doing this work. This is why I think it is a good idea for electing SLD co-chairs for two year terms makes a lot of sense. 

Given the outcomes, describe any changes you might make to the Capstone Project’s action plan

The level of advertising I did was significantly higher than last year, and I think it helped boost attendance.  I would love to see the retreat grow even more, and more advertising is a way to achieve that goal.

Only one presenter took us up on the 15 minute presentation option.  When I completed the MPLA program proposal, I noticed it included an option to present for 15 or 50 minutes. I included that option for the Summer Retreat. I would promote this shorter session option more so people who felt they didn’t have an hour’s worth of content but had a project or event to share would sign up for a shorter session. I think this would also build capacity in newer presenters. 15 minutes isn't as daunting as a full session.