In Step with Library Leaders

The 2024 NCLA Leadership Institute

Abstract

Driving up the steep, winding road of the Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA campus in Black Mountain, North Carolina for the first time is nothing short of breathtaking and, at the same time, a bit daunting for what lies ahead for the librarian traveler. Every other year, the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) hosts the Leadership Institute. This unique program includes an intensive four-day retreat that turns into a year-long leadership project at the participant’s home library. Although established in the 90’s, the Leadership Institute has gone through much change, including a lengthy hiatus, in its thirty-year tenure. For many librarians across the state, traveling to Black Mountain is a lengthy trek and the last winding road up the mountain solidifies their purpose—the simple act of coming together with other library folks in the hopes of learning more about what it means to be a true and authentic leader.