ILEAD USA Maine Team Member Information

Are you interested in a new initiative to encourage library staff to meet 21st century needs with interactive, participatory tools?  Do you want to be involved in a project that would develop your leadership and project management skills?

The ILEAD U State Steering Committee is looking for participants to form teams of 5 library staff members to implement web technologies that foster community participation as well as develop leadership, innovation and positive change.  Project ILEAD U will expand library staff members’ leadership skills and their abilities to use participatory technology to address an identified community need.

ILEAD U has a direct impact on the end user by engaging libraries’ users in a conversation to identify needs; involving user representatives to provide critical feedback during the development of a Web 2.0 project; and using the ILEAD U teams’ products specifically designed to meet their needs that will improve the quality of life in their communities.

Applicants are not required to have a master’s degree in library science, be well versed in technological tools, or facile using the latest Web based technology.  Successful applicants will be library staff members who are innovative and interested in learning leadership skills, technology, and want to join their users in virtual spaces.

The participants will be expected to:

  • form strong ties with at least one user who can provide feedback (community representative);
  • periodically query their community representative for opinions, feedback and to prototype the tream product
  • participate actively in all sessions whether in-person or virtual meetings in concert with the program;
  • select a team product and usher it through planning, development and implementation;
  • participate actively in Project ILEAD U evaluation;
  • communicate with the mentors, facilitators, instructors, each other and the Project Director;
  • produce a short “Seed and Grow” video about each team’s product made available at the conclusion of the program, so that other libraries, regardless of location, can duplicate and rapidly deploy team products.

Each team will:

  • have one mentor to work with the project team throughout the entire process
  • receive a small project grant to facilitate implementation of the project; team members will decide which library will own any equipment purchased with this grant. Equipment must be used to further the library's efforts in partcipatory technology projects even after ILEAD concludes.
  • be expected to present programs at state, regional or national library and education conferences

If you are motivated and interested in applying the outcomes/expected results listed above to needs in your community and are able to organize projects and work with others, please organize a team and fill out the application to be an ILEADer in this exciting project.