ISSN: 2474-3542 Journal homepage: http://journal.calaijol.org Path to Leadership: National Forum on Advancing Asian/Pacific Islander American Librarianship Wenli Gao, Ray Pun, Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, Lian Ruan Abstract: In August 2021, the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), in partnership with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), received $100,000 in funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program National Forum Grant in the Lifelong Learning project category for Path to Leadership: National Forum to Advance Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) Librarianship. Funding from the grant resulted in an online national forum, webinars, and a reunion program. This paper details the planning and implementation of this project. It also includes project evaluation and a proposed curriculum outline to fully develop an APIA leadership program. To cite this article: Gao, W., Pun, R., Pelayo-Lozada, L. K., Ruan, L. (2023). Path to Leadership: National Forum on Advancing Asian/Pacific Islander American Librarianship. International Journal of Librarianship, 8(2), 11-27. https://doi.org/10.23974/ijol.2023.vol8.2.264 To submit your article to this journal: Go to https://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions https://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIBRARIANSHIP, 8(2), 11-27 ISSN: 2474-3542 Path to Leadership: National Forum on Advancing Asian/Pacific Islander American Librarianship Wenli Gao, University of Houston, United States Ray Pun, Alder Graduate School of Education, United States Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, Palos Verdes Library District, United States Lian Ruan, Illinois Fire Service Institute Library, United States ABSTRACT In August 2021, the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), in partnership with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), received $100,000 in funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program National Forum Grant in the Lifelong Learning project category for Path to Leadership: National Forum to Advance Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) Librarianship. Funding from the grant resulted in an online national forum, webinars, and a reunion program. This paper details the planning and implementation of this project. It also includes project evaluation and a proposed curriculum outline to fully develop an APIA leadership program. Keywords: Grant, Library associations, Leadership, Self-advocacy INTRODUCTION In a profession that is predominately white (DataUSA, 2017), the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) recognize the importance of supporting Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) library workers in both leadership and formal management roles. CALA and APALA believe that empowered APIA library workers can influence decisions and advocate for our APIA communities regardless of position or title, as they often lead from the middle. In addition, the associations work together to serve APIA communities and to build coalitions with other marginalized communities. While our APIA library workers have demonstrated they can lead from any position, APIA leaders deserve to have a seat at the leadership table, as they significantly benefit the library organizations and the profession as a whole in the United States. Representation matters, and library users who see leaders who share cultural values and appearances often have more positive and enriching experiences with our institutions. APIA leaders develop deep and trusting relationships with members of the APIA community and are able to ensure that libraries collections and programs Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 12 are culturally relevant. Finally, APIA leaders continue to push for equity, diversity, inclusion initiatives, and social justice values, advocating for the needs of APIA staff and community. With this in mind, CALA and APALA leaders jointly applied for an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program National Forum Grant. CALA and APALA envisioned a program that acknowledges shared commonalities, as well as differences, celebrating the APIA community’s unique strengths. In 2021, CALA and APALA were awarded $100,000 in funding for the Path to Leadership: National Forum to Advance Asian/Pacific Islander American Librarianship (henceforth referred to as Path to Leadership National Forum) for September 2021 to December 2022. PREPARATION Throughout the project, co-project directors met with advisory board members (See appendix 1) on a quarterly basis to discuss the process of the forum, procedure, and findings of the project. To begin codifying and documenting the barriers, challenges, and successes of APIA library leaders, project directors and advisory board members designed an application form to survey forum applicants (See appendix 2). The following questions guided the design of the project: 1. What are the current needs and barriers in leadership development among APIA library workers and within APIA groups? 2. What do current APIA leaders perceive as most beneficial in overcoming barriers and developing leadership? 3. How can APIA focused library associations such as CALA and APALA better serve communities of APIA library workers in developing leadership and management opportunities and skills? Each guiding question also consists of an objective and an activity to address the question respectively. In addition, the project outlines three major outcomes: • Participants will identify barriers and paths to leadership from experiences shared by current APIA leaders as well as their own experiences in the profession. • Participants will contribute to the development of a leadership program curriculum tailored specifically for APIA library workers based on the forum’s discussions. • Participants will form and participate in a networking community to support and share their leadership development experiences. PATH TO LEADERSHIP NATIONAL FORUM The online national forum happened in January 2022. 113 participants attended the forum to discuss the leadership barriers and opportunities for APIA library workers. See below for the program schedule. Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 13 2-Day Program Schedule Day 1 Program on January 27, 2022 (in Pacific Time): 11:00 – 11:10 am: Welcome & Introductions to Program and Agenda Day 1 11:10 – 12:00 pm: Keynote Speaker: ALA President Patricia “Patty” Wong, moderated by Dr. Ling Hwey Jeng 12:00 – 12:15 pm: Break 12:15 – 1:00 pm: Brainstorming Session in Break Out Group Discussions 1:00 – 1:40 pm: Reflecting Together: Sharing out responses from Break Out Discussions 1:40 – 1:45 pm: Break 1:45 – 2:00 pm: Regroup and Conclude for Today & Q&A from Participants 2:00 pm: (OPTIONAL) Break Out Groups on Special Topics such as Library Directors, Technical Services Librarians, etc. Day 2 Program on January 28, 2022 (in Pacific Time): 11:00 – 11:05 am: Welcome Back & Agenda Day 2 11:05 – 11:15 am: Information and Data to Path to Leadership Forum Participants 11:15 – 12:30 pm: Forum Panel & Q&A 12:30 – 12:45 pm: Break 12:45 – 1:30 pm: Brainstorming Session in Break Out Group Discussions 1:30 – 2:00 pm: Reflecting Together: Sharing Out Responses from Break Out Discussions 2:00 – 2:15 pm: Concluding Thoughts and Adjournment WEBINAR SERIES The project also produced a webinar series open to forum participants as well as CALA and APALA members. Webinars were hosted in March, April, and May 2022 for attendees to continue engaging and connecting with each other. See below for webinar descriptions. Path to Leadership Webinar #1: Leadership Capacity Wherever We Are by Dr. Ling Hwey Jeng Description: A position of power gives the appearance of leadership. A person can occupy a position with authority to supervise and manage, and still fail to lead. Leadership is about the capacity of intentional or unintentional activism in each leader/person to exercise influence over others in order to reach a common goal. Everyone can build and expand their leadership capacity whether they work at frontline customer service, or in the backroom providing infrastructural support. Wherever we are at work or in life, we can anchor ourselves in a position to bring out the best in others, to create connections among people and resources, and to enable positive changes for the greater collective good. Our internal leadership capacity encompasses at least several areas of competencies: professional knowledge and skills, personal and social responsibilities, inclusive and equitable treatment of people, stakeholder relationships, and asset-based approach to community building. The goal is to identify the areas of leadership capacity we already practice regardless of our position, and other areas where we have the potential to develop. Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 14 Path to Leadership Webinar #2: Virtual Community Gathering Description: It’s been 3 months since our forum in January and we invite all forum participants to attend this session for networking and catching up. We’ll provide an update on upcoming activities related to Path to Leadership at ALA Annual including the reunion event. Come by and reconnect with your breakout groups too! This session will not be recorded. Path to Leadership Webinar #3: Panel Discussion on Mixed Race Experiences Moderated by Alanna Aiko Moore Description: Join CALA/APALA for another Path to Leadership webinar! Today’s panel of mixed-race Asian Pacific Islanders will share their experiences being multiracial, explore questions of authenticity and belonging, and talk about how they navigate their identity and create community. Panelists include Path to Leaders participants and other leaders in the field. Panelists: Nicky Andrews, Victor Betts, Heidi Estrada, and Neil Ordinario An anonymous final evaluation survey was sent out to all participants at the end of the last webinar. Four questions were required, and one was optional: 1. What have you applied from the forum to your job or professional activities since the forum? 2. What was helpful in the webinar series? 3. What was not helpful in the webinar series? 4. What would you like to know or further explore around AAPI leadership? 5. (OPTIONAL) Please share any barriers you may have experienced when participating in any part of the Path to Leadership program (e.g., taking time off to attend, supervisor's hesitations to grant time to attend such programs, etc.) 24 responses were returned and compiled. See appendix 3. Reunion at American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference The IMLS grant enabled more than 40 participants to attend the reunion meeting in-person at ALA Annual Conference 2022 in Washington D.C. It was a wonderful opportunity for many first time ALA conference attendees to connect in person and also to attend this conference under the ALA Presidency of Patty Wong, a CALA and APALA member and past president, and the first Asian American president of ALA. LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM OUTLINE Based on the 2 half day forum discussions, there were three key areas to focus on for a leadership development curriculum for APIA library workers. Section one focuses on identifying and embracing alternative leadership approaches such as servant leadership, which are more in line with APIA values, versus molding into more “traditional” approaches such as transactional leadership. Understanding one’s leadership Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 15 approach and connecting to an inclusive leadership practice resonated most with forum participants. Inclusive leadership is defined as: “The practice of leadership that carefully maximizes the contributions of all stakeholders in the community or organization. Inclusion means being at the table at multiple levels of the organization, being a valued contributor, and being fully responsible for your contribution to the ultimate result” (University of Texas at San Antonio, 2022). Inclusive leadership may also include participatory decision making and understanding multiple perspectives. In this mode, there needs to be a discussion on how to bring identity into leadership and learning other people’s processes, and how to name and disrupt a system that resists and prohibits changes focused on inclusion. Inclusive leadership/Alternative leadership requires a clearer distinction between the roles of leadership and management. Participants shared that they perceive management as the leader, but others — including keynote speaker Patty Wong and forum panelists —stated that anyone can be a leader, anyone can lead from any position. The cultural dimension needs to be mentioned because hierarchy is often viewed as authoritative in Asian cultures. It also creates opportunities to discuss how Asian and Pacific Islander values affect personal leadership approaches and connect to a greater sociopolitical context. Section two examines how to build community internally and externally. The leadership development program should encourage peer-to-peer and cohort systems where there is accountability and support. “One-off programs” should be avoided because participants may feel isolated. Affinity groups within the cohort may discuss specific issues such as barriers in the workplace or how culture affects spaces in the workplace in quarterly virtual calls led by program participants for a year after such a program. These types of interactions reinforce participants’ relationships with one another, instills trust and promotes networking and accountability. Building community internally and externally also focuses on communication skills and relationship building. This may include learning how to communicate effectively and strategically and aid in developing skills that enable participants to communicate with their workplace colleagues assertively and clearly while remaining true to their own selves. An example, role-playing scenarios, would be valuable and which forum participants recommended would be a helpful practice. Another example would involve providing a session on facilitation skills, and how to lead an effective meeting, which ensures and builds community internally. One important component for this section is to host a panel discussion featuring cohort participants or external speakers to share and reflect on their leadership journey. These conversations can be inspiring and help to build the network for APIA library workers. Section three highlights self-advocacy and overcoming barriers. Participants need to come together to share their struggles and challenges, and ways to overcome barriers in the workplace and how to advocate for themselves. Vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity are important values that need to be embraced within such programs. A discussion of self-advocacy strategies, to which participants bring workplace issues and get feedback from cohort members may be one helpful approach to bridging relationships and developing support. This third section is more of a reflective moment on addressing such questions as: “How do we advocate for ourselves as library workers? How do we tell our stories? What do we do to amplify our own skills? How do we move past Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 16 modesty narratives that many of our cultures have internalized in us?” These questions can guide important discussions on overcoming barriers and support participants in building and strengthening a path to leadership. The content of each section can be applied within 3-4 days - we recommend hosting in- person sessions allowing participants to discuss difficult issues together. Remote offering is also possible, but it may need to be spread out over additional days. In addition, it is important to host virtual gatherings to bring participants back together to build community, trust, support, and accountability with and for each other. Part 1 - Identifying and Understanding Leadership Approaches • Introduction to leadership approaches and one’s default preference • What is inclusive leadership? • Understand differences between leadership and management • Understand how culture affects leadership approaches Part 2 - Building Community Internally and Externally • Learning communication skills to build community internally • A session on effective facilitation skills • Building community externally — peer-to-peer mentorship program in the cohort • Host a panel discussion focusing on diverse AAPI library workers’ experiences Part 3 - Developing Self Advocacy and Overcoming Barriers to Leadership • Understand the barriers to leadership based on culture • Select discussion questions on self-advocacy and barriers: o How do we advocate for ourselves as library workers? o How do we tell our stories? o What do we do to amplify our own skills? o How do we move past "modesty" narratives that many of our cultures have internalized in us?” The outline above creates a potential foundation for future association leaders such as those in CALA and APALA who may be interested in developing an intentional leadership program that engages with APIA library workers’ interest in leadership. The outline curriculum and findings provide guidance for next steps in creating a program that connects to the APIA library workers’ experiences. Future leadership programs may consider adapting these sections in their curricula as an alternative to traditional leadership programs, such as existing programs in the library field. CONCLUSION This project was started in the midst of COVID-19, with increasing waves of Anti-Asian sentiments and violence across the United States of America. Through this lens and the trauma of both, our participants were authentic, honest, and vulnerable throughout the process. We continue to see the lack of presence of APIA library workers in formal and informal library leadership roles after decades of recruitment and retention efforts. However, we remain hopeful to see a future Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 17 leadership program focused on APIA library workers, a program that will flourish and support the greater community of aspiring APIA library leaders in the field. In conclusion, this paper reflects on the two-day virtual forum and virtual activities following the forum is part of an important and long-term visionary project to support APIA library leaders in the field supported by CALA and APALA. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to come together in-person at the ALA Annual Conference 2022 in Washington, DC. Participants reconnected in-person, shared updates, and learned more about different progressions and experiences from fellow participants in-person. This was an opportunity for participants to come together in the meeting and connect with one another in-person after a period of remote engagement due to COVID-19. This gathering also reflected the diversity of our community. To learn more about this project, please visit the project website https://apialibrarianship.org/ . References DATAUSA (2017). DIVERSITY. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://DATAUSA.IO/PROFILE/SOC/LIBRARIANS#ETHNICITY University of Texas at San Antonio (2022). Inclusive leadership. Retrieved from https://www.utsa.edu/inclusiveexcellence/our-approach/inclusive-leadership.html https://apialibrarianship.org/ https://datausa.io/profile/soc/librarians#ethnicity https://www.utsa.edu/inclusiveexcellence/our-approach/inclusive-leadership.html Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 18 APPENDIX 1: PROJECT PERSONNEL AND ADVISORY BOARD Co-Project Directors: • Raymond Pun, APALA President 2021-2022 • Wenli Gao, CALA President 2021-2022 • Lessa Pelayo-Lozada, APALA Executive Director, 2019-2022 • Lian Ruan, CALA Executive Director 2019-2022 Project Team Members: • Elaine Tai, Project Assistant, • Ying Liao, Project Treasurer • Haoyong Lan, Project Web Designer Forum Co-Facilitators: • Alanna Aiko Moore • Ling Hwey Jeng Advisory Board Members: • Candice Mack (chair) • Tarida Anantachai • Ariana Hussain • Leo Lo • Pearl Ly • Maria McCauley • Mimosa Shah • Safi Safullah • Miriam Tuliao • Shali Zhang Forum Break Out Group Facilitators • Monnee Tong • Moon Kim • Jessica Dai • Jamie Kurumaji • Hanna Ahn • Andrew Carlos • Edward Junhao Lim • Kathleen Baril • Tina Chan • Jaena Rae Cabrera • Jamie Lin • Regina Gong • Shelly Black Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 19 APPENDIX 2: APPLICATION QUESTIONS Basic Information: 1. Your Name 2. Your Email Address Leadership Questions: 3. On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your own leadership skills? (1 being less skilled and 5 being very skilled) 4. What kinds of opportunities have supported your career? Please check all that applies • Mentorship • Leadership development programs • Funding • Supportive work or community environment (including supervisors and workplace colleagues) • Other 5. If you selected other, please share with us: 6. What kinds of opportunities would have supported your career? Please check all that applies • Mentorship • Leadership development programs • Funding • Supportive work or community environment (including supervisors and workplace colleagues) • Other 7. If you selected other, please share with us: 8. What have been some barriers you have experienced in your career? Please check all that applies: • Unsupportive work environment (including supervisors and workplace colleagues) • Isolating community environment • Unable to move • Ageism • Racism • Sexism • Homophobia Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 20 • Ableism • Other 9. If you selected "unable to move" (due to familial responsibilities, lack of funding or something else) and/or "other," please share with us the reasons: 10. How can library associations like CALA and APALA better serve communities of APIA library workers in developing leadership and management opportunities and skills? (300 words max) 11. If you were to participate in leadership development programs like "Path to Leadership: National Forum on Advancing Asian/Pacific Islander AmericanLibrarianship," what would you like to learn? (300 words max) Forum Questions: 12a. Are you applying to attend this forum? Yes / No 12b. Are you able to commit to both dates to the national forum? The dates are currently set as - January 27 at 11-2 pm PT and January 28 at 11-2:30 pm PT (tentatively) Yes / No 13. What do you hope to carry forward with you by attending the forum? (300 words max) 14. If selected, how do you plan on directly applying what you have gained from the forum to the profession in the future? (300 words max) 15. Would you be interested in moderating or presenting in our webinars in Spring 2022 that highlight post-forum experiences? 16. Please write a brief bio of yourself (If selected and accepted, this bio will be used for our website). (150 words max) Demographics: 17a. Do you identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) ? Yes/No 17b. If not, what is your relationship with AAPI communities? 17c. If yes, please list your cultural, ethnic or racial heritage (e.g., Asian/Pacific Islander, Maõri; Chinese American; South Asian/Indian; Mixed Race/Native Hawaiian, Middle Eastern, etc.): Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 21 18. Your Pronouns (she/he/they/ze): 19a. Name of institution you work in? (If you are a student, please list your school). 19b. Location of your institution (drop down menu) 20. What type of library do you work in? • Public • Academic • School • Special • LIS Educator • Student • Other 21. What is your work title/role? (If student, please list student) 22. How long have you worked in libraries? • 0-10 years • 11-20 years • 21+ years 23. Are you a member of the following associations? (Please note association membership does not affect acceptance). • APALA • CALA • None of the above 24. Optional: What other questions or comments would you like to share with us? Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 22 Appendix 3: Responses from project evaluation Question 1: What have you applied from the forum to your job or professional activities or personally since the forum in January? • Connecting further with other forum participants. • I have approached more projects with a community-based, asset-based approach because of this program. I am also more confident that I belong to the APIA and APALA community. As someone who identifies as mixed race Chinese American I struggle with imposter syndrome and this program has helped me feel included, valued, and empowered. • Practicing my own leadership style and learning to be comfortable with letting it grow even if it's different from leaders around me in my organization. Taking steps to contribute more and take on responsibilities with courage. Learning from, leaning on, and supporting Path to Leadership participants. • I've really tried to create a safe space for my diverse staff to converse and to develop allyship support for one another. • I have more awareness of the marginalization that folks within the AAPI umbrella term experience and how others can come to the forefront and push other people out. • Not sure if I've applied anything specifically from the forum to my job or professional activities, but I always try to operate as an anti-racist, support marginalized communities in my personal practice, and continue to learn/unlearn. • The forum instilled more confidence in me as an AAPI leader. • To see myself being able to lead from all sides. • Centering AAPI and BIPOC library staff experiences • I have shared our results with our Race and Equity Team, assisted staff with an AAPI Heritage Display, and shared with staff the benefits of joining APALA. I also shared the Facebook group, Instagram, and upcoming Conventions that my group thought would be appropriate for myself. I was also given the chance to attend ALA as a result of joining APALA through their travel stipend. • This was the fourth leadership-style training I had attended as a library professional. I found it useful in helping spark ideas around what leadership could look like that doesn't mimic what we are trained to think of as "leader-like behavior." Rather than using Gallup StrengthsFinder tests or relying upon articles from Harvard Business Review, what could leadership training that accounts for our unique identities and struggle look like? • The two-day session made me think towards a capstone project that I completed for a course (Social Justice in the Information Professions). Leading with the work of LIS scholars such as Silvia Vong and Lalitha Nataraj, I asked, "What would the antidote to typical leadership training be for library workers?" I developed an annotated bibliography and a digital zine of activities, with the idea that these items could be used in tandem with each other or individually for a reading group among library workers curious about integrating critical reflective practice into their work. The full project can be viewed at this link • Continue to provide opportunities and mentor individuals of color • I am still mulling over how to bring my whole self to work which can be hard at a PWI. https://www.dropbox.com/s/08taln6hg5e1piv/IS%20540%20Final%20Project%20-%20Bibliography%20and%20Zine%20-%20Revised.pdf?dl=0 Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 23 • I've been cognizant of my time and where I choose to spend it, in regards to self-care and priorities. I've also been lifting up colleagues' voices, connecting others to what they need and encouraging colleagues in taking a step up and taking space. • Had more confidence in my leadership knowledge and skills. • Different types of leadership styles, along with seeking mentorship in my field. • Leadership skills and capacities can be developed and enhanced through many forms and opportunities, including serving on one's own communities or professional library associations. • A greater awareness of my own biases, making sure others have opportunities to lead, and really looking at my institution's culture to see where small changes I can make might be useful for everyone/change. • Nothing yet, as none of the information shared was practical for my situation • The idea of personal voyage in self racial identification. • Self-awareness of challenges encountered as an AAPI leader and manager. Patty Wong's keynote helped me recognize how to move past obstacles in these situations. • I really appreciated the forum as a place to connect and listen to other leaders. Thank you so much for your hard work in putting this together! However, I don't know if I learned anything new from this forum. To give some context, I grew up in Hawaii, where I felt seen and represented in different settings. I got to see people similar to Patty Wong in leadership positions when I used to live in Hawaii. I was privileged to grow up in this setting and this gave me the confidence to pursue leadership positions. I really admire Patty Wong, but I would've loved to hear how she dealt with her struggles on top of her triumphs. I enjoyed that we got to be in breakout groups, but since we are talking about tough topics, I wonder how we could've built trust with each other before diving right in. • The forum and sessions have been so empowering. I've used that energy in BIPOC spaces I help coordinate. The takeaways I've gotten are very much a foundation or head space that I go into in all aspects of my professional and personal life. It reminds me that I am not a stereotype and that I have power in my truth wherever I go. I can feel more whole in all the spaces I occupy. • Be more proactive to serve as a mentor to fellow AAPI staff Question 2: What was helpful in the webinar series? • Hearing stories that reflect my own personal experience. • Working in a nearly all white library system just the opportunity to see and hear from different APIA professionals gave me resilience to keep doing the work. The acknowledgement that what I'm experiencing isn't just a one off, that it happens everywhere but there are ways to be strong in the face of structural and systemic racism and oppression. And that it's good and okay and right to do that in a way that is authentic and true to you as a person, your passions, your skills, your culture, your strengths. • Loved the discussion moderated by Alanna Aiko Moore with Nicky Andrews, Victor Betts, Heidi Estrada, and Neil Ordinario! Would love to build on this conversation. • Leadership thoughts and strategies that are not mainstream/White-centric • I really enjoyed the second day of the January webinar and the panel featuring Lalitha Nataraj and more. Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 24 • The ability to learn more about the commonalities affecting the AAPI communities, but also the differences that help us celebrate our diversity. I especially appreciated Nicky Andrews challenging the notion of what indigenous means and the ability to see the US- centric lens many of us operate under. • Although the reunion event hasn't happened yet, I imagine the ability to build community and continue maintaining connection with each other would be the greatest benefit. • The mixed race panel was very important to me personally. • I appreciated having a safe space to discuss the hardships of the field while encouraging new AAPI library staff. • Opportunities to learn from and network with AAPI librarians • Knowing that there is a supportive community where everyone can thrive. • I enjoyed getting to hear individually from speakers like Dr. Lim, as well as chatting with participants in the small group sessions. • Listening to different perspectives. I always tell students that you don't know what you don't know. So hearing the experiences of others help me gain a better understanding of what it means to be a BIPOC librarian, information specialist, or faculty. • I think it was helpful just to know that there is a community of people with similar experiences in the profession. • Discussion, small break out groups • The experience shared by speakers and fellow participants showed that I was not the only one who experienced stereotypical bias against AAPI groups. • Showcasing different APIA identities and their roles within the library and beyond. • Each session of the webinar series presented a very focused topic that was easy to relate to one's own situation and provided a different perspective. The series was very beneficial. • Talking with others who have had similar experiences and building a community based on some of those shared experiences. • Getting to meet library colleagues across the country • The honesty of the speakers • Able to continue to engage with program attendees. • I was not able to attend the webinar series due to schedule conflicts. • Knowing that Patty Wong is a reluctant leader opened my eyes to what leadership can look like for me. It's not one size fits all. I also enjoyed one of the follow up webinar series where we talked about our hands, head, and heart and how those things combine. • to hear young professionals' experiences at work Question 3: What was not helpful in the webinar series? • Not getting a chance to talk and discuss with other participants. • Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the other two webinars. • I have not had the same level of struggles and trauma that some of our attendees have had to endure. So instead of bringing me up and energizing me, sometimes I felt dragged down • This might have been unwelcomed because it would potentially added more time to the webinars, but it would have been helpful to have activities throughout the webinars to Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 25 collectively process the information being shared, whether it's arriving at some sort of collective actionable takeaways, ways to build solidarity, etc. I recognize this happened early on in the kick-off calls in January but it would have been helpful to continue with this momentum. • I wasn't able to attend a few of the webinars due to conflicts. I wished they were scheduled earlier. • While I appreciated the discussion about the adversity AAPI library workers faced, I felt like more could have been done to discuss how to recruit AAPI folx into the field/ • None, it was great. • It was sometimes hard to keep up with the conversations in the chat while listening to the speakers and keeping focused. • None that I can think of at the moment. • I thought all the webinars I was able to attend were great. • Being talked at (information overload). Even when it's good information. • I wish all webinars had been recorded as I missed a couple of them, but I understand the reasons for privacy. • Staying with the same group each time - I would have liked to meet more people • not enough time for questions. • I would've liked more participant interaction during webinars. I missed the most recent one, but don't recall if there were opportunities to connect with others, other than through private messages using webinar chats. • I'd love more opportunities to connect with other participants and really talk about what we have been learning or reflecting upon. • I would like to hear more presentations from leaders in the field, less from professors Question 4: What would you like to know or further explore around AAPI leadership? • There seems to be a willingness from several participants to step into formal leadership positions. However, I and others have not been successful in getting desired positions. We think there's a disconnect between the field wanting to prepare leaders and organizations being willing to hire or promote people who are ready to become leaders, but may not have a decade of experience. • I would love to continue to connect with and hear from other AAPI leaders. As the only AAPI person in a leadership role at my library, being able to calibrate with others is so vital. • Continue to practice and understand different ways of leading in the AAPI community; mentoring connections; collaborating and organizing change work. • More on executive leadership please! It's one thing to lead in a lower or middle management level, but it's different at the executive level. • I would be curious if other activities develop out of this effort. • I'd like to know more about different/underrepresented voices in AAPI, to help me better serve my community. • I would like to explore strategies and plans to actually recruit AAPI folx into the field. • Leadership styles • More ways to create pipelines for those seeking Librarianship Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 26 • How can we be better allies and supporters of individuals from minoritized backgrounds? How can we better advocate for ourselves in the workplace? • Mentoring opportunities, collaborative leadership and learning, partnership opportunities, networking • I would be interested to know how AAPI leaders interact on campus with DEI initiatives. • anti-blackness, acknowledging Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders along with Asian Americans. • More practical advice from experienced AAPI leaders. • Mentorship skills and individual values. • Inviting AAPI speakers from public libraries and school libraries would be helpful. Some participants were from public libraries. • Non-western ways of leading and how we can incorporate those ways into our own leadership styles to make organizational and cultural change. • LGBTQ+ experiences, navigating starting a family and balancing professional life, advantages and experiences of PhDs for library leadership • Pacific Islander identification • Authenticity and Thriving as AAPI in a predominantly-white profession. • I would be curious about regional differences among AA&PI leadership. How is it different on the East Coast vs. West Coast? California vs. NY? When I engage in these circles, I have always noticed that AA&PI in California and Hawaii tend to be more confident than AA&PI in other states. Why is that? • Work life balance. • I would like to see this kind of initiatives become part of AAPI's annual event Question 5: Please share any barriers you may have experienced when participating in any part of the Path to Leadership program (e.g. taking time off to attend, repeated requests, supervisor's hesitation, etc.) • I'm not attending ALA Annual due to other conference commitments, so I hope I'm not missing out too much. • getting supervisor's approval and understanding of the forum. • Just missed a few webinars due to other meetings/teaching classes. • Though I can always make time, I realized that my colleagues might not have the same freedom of time to connect, collaborate, or network. • For what I was able to attend, the Path to Leadership was a great experience and brilliant idea. Since I'm a manager, I had trouble justifying to myself that I need to prioritize an experience just for me (as opposed to working on daily operations stuff) and so I couldn't attend most of the events after the required meetings. I also had trouble being in the right headspace for the program - of course, if you're physically tired, you won't be present. • Supervisor has been very supportive, but sometimes we're just so short staffed that I have to work a desk even when I've asked for and been approved for the time. • Taking time off to attend, the times the webinars were held. • Technology (e.g., my work computer) so nothing the organizers could have resolved 😅😅. • Not having time to attend, having it available only live, without a recorded option. Gao et al. / International Journal of Librarianship 8(2) 27 ______________________________________________________________________________ About the authors Wenli Gao is the Head of Collections Strategies & Services at University of Houston. Raymond Pun is the Academic and Research Librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education. Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada is the Adult Services Assistant Manager at Palos Verdes Library District. Lian Ruan is the Head Librarian at Illinois Fire Service Institute Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 03-265-Gao-Title-Page 03-265-Gao-Article-version2 Wenli Gao, University of Houston, United States Ray Pun, Alder Graduate School of Education, United States Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, Palos Verdes Library District, United States Lian Ruan, Illinois Fire Service Institute Library, United States ABSTRACT Leadership Curriculum Outline Conclusion References DataUSA (2017). Diversity. Retrieved from https://datausa.io/profile/soc/librarians#ethnicity Appendix 1: Project Personnel and Advisory Board Appendix 2: Application Questions