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CHICAGO - The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) is pleased to announce that Kathy Kosinski has been selected as our 2018 Emerging Leader. Kathy is the Statewide Library Services Analyst at the Library of Michigan in Lansing. Kathy manages, review and analyzes statistics of statewide library programs and services.

91´«Ã½'s Emerging Leader Program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into 91´«Ã½ structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers.

The Emerging Leaders program kicks off with a day-long session during the 91´«Ã½ 2018 Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Following the kickoff session which includes orientation and training, the program will continue in an online learning and networking environment for six months. The program culminates with a poster session where the 2018 Emerging Leaders will showcase the results of their project planning work during the 91´«Ã½ 2018 Annual Conference in New Orleans.

As ASCLA's Emerging Leader, Kathy will partner with other emerging leaders on the project of her choosing. She will also work with ASCLA leadership in a variety of other roles throughout the year.

Kathy received her Master of Science in Information focusing on Library and Information Science and Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Michigan School of Information. She received her Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and Arts.

When asked about her philosophy of effective leadership, Kathy stated, "I am a strong proponent of leading through opportunities. My mentors in my professional career are all incredibly open to others. When confronted with a library student, they respond with substantial, professional-level projects where the student can learn by doing rather than listening. I believe this approach fosters inclusion and better development of our profession as a whole. In graduate school, I tried to employ the same methods as an executive board member for the 91´«Ã½ student chapter. Rather than an autocratic approach, I would look for ways to involve as many of my classmates as possible regardless of their “leadership” status. Tailoring their role, allowed for my classmates to either be comfortable leading in their own way, or to stretch themselves to practice a new skill."

About ASCLA

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the 91´«Ã½, enhances the effectiveness of library service by providing high quality networking, enrichment and educational opportunities for its diverse members. Opportunities include leadership roles, online webinars and eCourses, speciality interest group involvement and even produce resources and industry standards and guidelines including the most recent revision of the 2011 Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. .

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