Julie Wayland, Director of the Princeton Public Library, attended a three-day, state-sponsored, advanced training meeting and was selected among 50 library Directors throughout the state to participate in Director’s University 2.0 (DU2). DU2 was a joint project from the Illinois Heartland Library System, Illinois Library Association, Illinois State Library and Reaching Across Illinois Library System.
To be successful as library a director within our geographic regions, continuing education is necessary. DU2 was developed to dive deeper into topics that were touched on in the first Director’s University. These topics included staffing issues, new laws, budgeting, diversity, equity and inclusion, board relationships and succession plans. Materials, lodging, and meals were covered by the $150 registration fee and support from the Illinois State Library using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
According to Wayland, “it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with other public library directors across the state and share experiences and advise gained through the years as well as to prepare for future trends”. Overall, the program was designed to offer the next level of education and knowledge to the participants to help them continue to build efficient, strong Illinois library directors.
