Assessing Diversity Initiatives: The ARL Leadership and Career Development Program

This article represents the results of a study of the participants in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP). The study was designed initially to determine the effectiveness of the initiative; however, secondary goals reveal data on program participants perceptions of the success of the program in multiple areas of leadership as defined by program elements. In addition to demographic queries, participants were asked about positions held before and after program completion and the perceived impact of the program on their career paths. Participants were also queried on major program components including the mentoring relationship, research and publishing, and other leadership activities. Findings on the key elements of the ARL LCDP—the mentoring relationship, research and publication, and other leadership activities—are not unlike findings from other available research on library leadership institutes. It is clear from the evidence presented that the majority of the researchers included here are aware of the difficulties of correlating the impact of participating in and attending library leadership institutes; however, candid comments from participants reveal assessing the impacts of these programs on individuals qualitatively is much more easily done, and illuminating, than attempts to do so quantitatively.\u2