ARSL Awarded Two IMLS Grants to Launch National Certifications in Library Leadership and Core Library Skills

The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) today announced it has received two grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to build national certification programs: one in library leadership, and one in core librarianship skills for new and early-career staff.

The two projects build on ARSL's track record of highly-relevant professional development for those working in small or rural libraries, and specifically the previous IMLS-funded ARSL Leadership Institutes and ARSL's 2025 Libraries 101 pilot. Both grants extend proven pilot models into sustainable credentials programs.

Rural and Small Library Leadership Institute

Online Certification Program • Grant #RE-259806-OLS

The grant will fund the conversion of ARSL's Leadership Institute into an online, asynchronous certification program, developed in collaboration with the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and an advisory committee of rural and state library representatives.

Since 2020, the Leadership Institute has trained cohorts of library professionals from across America, most recently 30 graduates from its 2024–25 cohort. Many rural and small library leaders have limited access to leadership development, and travel, scheduling, and staffing constraints put in-person training out of reach. The new certification will adapt the Institute's proven approach while removing those barriers, migrating all content into self-paced modules with peer engagement activities. ARSL will launch the program with an initial national pilot cohort who will work toward their online certification.

“I've loved seeing how participation in ARSL's Leadership Institutes has changed how the graduates see themselves. Far too often, training opportunities like this have depended on being able to travel and take more significant time away from an already short-staffed library. This grant will let us bring the same caliber of training from our Leadership Institute directly to the people doing this work, right where they are, and on their own timeline.”

— Kate Laughlin, ARSL Executive Director

Libraries 101

Core Learning Certification for Rural Library Staff • Grant #LG-259559-OLS

The grant will fund the expansion of Libraries 101, a competency-based training program for new and early-career staff in small and rural public libraries, into a national credential program. This program addresses gaps in access to formal library science degrees by providing core skills such as budgeting, technology, and community engagement through structured professional development that deepens knowledge typically acquired through on-the-job activities.

Building on a successful pilot at the 2025 ARSL Conference, the program will develop modular training in core librarianship, leadership, and community service skills tailored to small-staffed, resource-constrained libraries. ARSL will test and refine the model through conference-based cohorts, coaching, and ongoing evaluation of participant learning and practice change. Delivered as a series of in-person preconference workshops during ARSL's annual conference next month in Alabama, development of the program will continue annually as the conference moves to its next host city. The result will be a highly practical national credential, recognized by partners and supported by a sustainable cost model, that strengthens the rural library workforce and improves services for rural residents.

“The idea for Libraries 101 emerged from feedback from many members of our national community who told us the same thing: they were hired to work in or run a library and had to learn the fundamentals of their role as they went. This certification will provide professional development tailored to the realities faced in small libraries and a recognized credential for the foundational skills they are already building every day or will need in the future.”

— Brooke Van Eyk, ARSL Development Director

About the Grants

These projects were made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (grant numbers RE-259806-OLS and LG-259559-OLS), through IMLS's Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian and National Leadership Grants for Libraries program area, and were reviewed by a national panel of field reviewers.

More information about previous ARSL Leadership Institute cohorts is available at arsl.org/arsl-leadership-institute-archive.
More information about ARSL-administered grants is available at arsl.org/grants.

About ARSL

ARSL builds strong communities through advocacy, professional development, and elevating the impact of rural and small libraries. As the premier organization representing rural and small libraries, ARSL recognizes the uniqueness of small and rural libraries and is committed to providing an environment that encourages excellence within this community of practice, supporting their goals of service and speaking on behalf of this important constituency.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow on Facebook and X.

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Media Contact: Association for Rural & Small Libraries | [email protected]

Issued August 2026 by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL)