Shelly Black heads north to the Minnesota Institute

Libraries Fellow Shelly Black has been accepted to the 2022 MN Institute for Early Career Librarians. Black will head to the Twin Cities in mid-July as part of a cohort of 30 librarians. 

Since 1998, the biennial institute has focused on the development of library leaders from diverse backgrounds. Participants develop specific leadership abilities proven to be necessary for organizational success. Its goal is to develop leadership skills that transform institutions to be more equitable and just places. To that end, institute faculty work to cultivate a cohort that is actively engaged in dismantling historically embedded systems of oppression and marginalization that are endemic in academia.

In her role as a Libraries Fellow, Black has helped develop a virtual reading room for born-digital and digitized materials and contributed to the creation of the virtual WolfTales oral history platform. She has also created best practices for students and faculty using our high-tech, immersive spaces, maximizing their work’s impact and making it more sustainable.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have been selected for this program,” Black says. “It means a lot to join this network, which includes library leaders I look up to. I can’t wait to connect with my cohort and alumni, and learn about ways of leading which make our profession equitable and welcoming to all.”