Rising Star program, Medical Library Association

Posted October 21, 2013

The MLA Rising Stars program aims to identify MLA members who have the interest, initiative and potential to provide leadership to MLA at a national level, and to promote their progress toward that goal.  The program matches each Rising Star with a mentor in a yearlong leadership development curriculum.  The curriculum includes experiential learning (e.g., a project identified by the host/mentor), personal mentoring, and group instruction via online seminars.  The cohort has the opportunity to attend and observe a portion of an MLA Board of Directors meeting.

 

CRITERIA           

 

• The applicant must be an MLA member throughout the duration of her/his program.
• The applicant must not have held a leadership office, task force or committee position at the national MLA level.
• The applicant must have attended at least one national MLA annual meeting.
• The applicant must have demonstrated interest and commitment to professional service through participation in activities or conferences related to medical librarianship.

 

APPLICATIONS

 

Applications and any supporting documentation must be received no later than November 1 for Rising Star applicants.

 

Rising Star applications:

 

• Applications must be in writing and contain at least the following elements:
  • A brief (one page) personal statement describing the applicant’s background, previous professional service, goals for MLA involvement, how she/he would benefit from the program, and potentially contribute to the group’s learning;
  • A current curriculum vitae or resume; and
  • A letter of support from the applicant’s library director indicating support for time to participate in all aspects of the program and attendance at the annual meetings (funding is available to attend one day of the MLA Board meeting only).

 

The recipient will be notified in March before the annual meeting at which the project announcements will be made.  The recipient assumes all costs of attending the meeting and the ceremony (except as noted above) at which the presentation is made.  If there are no appropriate applicants, the association may elect not to make the awards in a given year.  Information from previous years of this program is available at www.mlanet.org/awards/honors/rising_star.html. For further information, contact: [email protected] or 312-419-9094 x15.

 

In order for the application to be considered, all materials and letters of support must be returned to MLA headquarters by November 1 via email, fax, or mail (in order of preference).