Head of Special Collections Chosen for Harvard Leadership Institute

Andrea Weddle, the head of special collections and archives for Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries, was selected to attend the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians. The Institute is a week-long summer program where academic librarians from all over the country gather to discuss current issues, best practices, and academic leadership. Institute participants will also discuss expectations of library leaders, new technologies and long-range plans for the future.

The institute was founded in 1999 to give library leaders the tools they need to properly address emerging professional challenges and technical needs of their libraries.

“I am delighted to have been selected to be a part of the 2017 LIAL cohort,” Weddle said. “I applied to this institute because it promises to ‘help your library respond to a rapidly shifting competitive landscape.’ The library and archives profession has changed significantly since I accepted my current position six years ago. It is my hope that this institute will give me the skills to be proactive when facing change and allow me to become a better leader for the department and the university. I look forward to meeting and learning from other academic librarians and archivists facing similar challenges.”

Director of Libraries for Texas A&M-Commerce, Gregg Mitchell, believes Weddle’s selection for the program was well-deserved, stating “This is the premier professional development program of its kind, and admission into the Institute is highly competitive.  Ms. Weddle has an outstanding record of accomplishment here at A&M-Commerce as a library faculty member and Head of Special Collections and Archives. The Harvard Institute will give her the opportunity to connect with leaders in the greater academic library community and participate in discussions that help shape our profession.”