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A good leader, in addition to personal experiences, draws clues about leadership styles from observation of other leaders. Many librarians spend their entire careers in one system and under one or two directors, thereby limiting the scope of models from which they can draw ideas and inspiration.
With this in mind, each ELI intensive is designed to include a Director-in-Residence. Fellows the opportunity to hear about three different library leadership styles from three very different Library Directors. The Director-in-Residence role comes with two responsibilities. First, the DIR does a 'keynote' presentation at the Intensive, and uses this time to discuss his or her leadership style, goals for the library as an institution and profession, and advice for future library directors. Secondly, to offer Fellows more time to ask questions and test ideas, the DIR has meals with small groups of Fellows throughout the Intensive. The DIR may also sit in on any Intensive sessions during his/her stay.
(read keynote speech)
Herbert Elish was named Director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in December 1998. He is the ninth Library director since its establishment by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1895.
Mr. Elish received an undergraduate degree in political science in 1954 from Williams College, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Harvard University School of Law in 1957.
In the 1960’s Mr. Elish practiced law for a number of years and held several senior policy-making positions at the Civil Aeronautics Board. In 1971 he became the Commissioner of Sanitation of New York City. His administration was highlighted by substantial management reforms that resulted in marked improvements in efficiency and service quality. Later he became Administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration for the City of New York.
Mr. Elish left government in 1974 and became a Vice President of Citibank, N.A. In 1975, at the time New York City faced bankruptcy, he became, at the request of the Governor, the first Executive Director of the Municipal Assistance Corporation, the agency created to address and solve the crisis. As Executive Director, he participated in all financing activities and had primary responsibility for negotiating cost-saving measures and pension fund investments with the city’s labor unions.
After the resolution of New York’s financial crisis, Mr. Elish joined International Paper Company where he held several senior management positions from 1976 through 1984. He was, at different times, Vice President-Human Resources, Vice President and Group Executive for two of the company’s largest divisions and Senior Vice President and member of the management committee.
In 1986 Mr. Elish joined the Dreyfus Corporation, a major New York-based financial services company, as Senior Vice President.
In 1987 he was named Chairman and CEO of Weirton Steel Corporation, a major integrated steel company headquartered in Weirton, West Virginia. Mr. Elish retired from the company in 1995. He has been chairman of the City of Pittsburgh Housing Authority since 1996.
Mr. Elish serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Allegheny General Hospital. He, and his wife Eloise, and their daughter Madeleine, live in Squirrel Hill.
Providence Public Library (PPL) has flourished under Dale’s fourteen-year tenure as Library Director. Most recently, as a direct result of her vision and commitment to community, this esteemed urban Library with its nine branches throughout Providence achieved national recognition from the White House and the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by receiving the Institute’s 2001 National Award for Library Service. PPL was the only urban library in the country to receive this prestigious award, which recognizes the organization’s extraordinary public service and pays tribute to its exceptional ability to reach out to children, families and its community.
During a time when urban libraries have been called on to assume more integral roles in their community, and with her sights fixed on the Library’s mission to serve, Dale has worked tirelessly to increase the Library’s hours of operation, collections, and technological and fiscal resources tremendously. Her dedication has drawn seminal support from local businesses such as Fleet, Verizon, Textron, The Providence Journal and Beacon Mutual Insurance Company, and resulted in increased public awareness and support. In addition, Dale herself received the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council’s 1999 Robert Goodrich award for outstanding fiscal responsibility and financial stewardship. Kim Chace, an astute financial investor, nominated Dale and the Providence Public Library.
Dale’s fervent commitment to serving community needs has resulted in the Library doubling its operating budget and increasing its number of employees significantly over recent years. Through her support and guidance, innovative Library programs such as Family Place, Family Literacy, Art Context (a collaboration with RISD Museum) and Computer Whiz Kids have been awarded local and national recognition and are used as models for library programming across the country. Varied multicultural programs such as PPL’s annual Bilingual Storywriting Contest, A Cambodian Family Journey teen and adult discussion group, and "Dia de los Ninos: Dia de los Libros" Latino cultural festivities are just a few that have enabled Library branches to celebrate the diversity of Providence and deliver vital literacy, health and childcare resources to the community as well. Under her direction, the Library has provided a variety of offerings, including visits from premier authors and national exhibitions.
Dale whole-heartedly supports public education and has ensured that PPL nurtures and maintains close ties to Providence Public Schools, daycare providers, and Boys & Girls clubs in local neighborhoods. Dale supports public education by aligning Library programs with school curricula. Through collaboration with teachers, PPL’s children’s librarians plan units and projects. Also, the Library offers a myriad of Summer Reading activities, providing free, educational, literacy-based services for children during summer vacation.
Concerned with bridging the digital divide, Dale has made certain that all members of the community can access vital computer resources at every library branch. In addition, she has overseen the establishment of a web site that enables patrons to research and reserve materials from home and has instituted system-wide programs such as computer education classes for adults and children. Computer Whiz Kids, which is sponsored and has been awarded a "best in the class" program designation by Verizon, enables children from urban locales to learn valuable skills such as Internet research and digital filmmaking and editing. As noted in their website, Verizon has recognized Whiz Kids as one of their "Best in Class" programs, a model of success for others to follow when seeking to partner with Verizon.
In response to Rhode Island’s 46% illiteracy rate, Dale has made sure that PPL is a leader in the state’s literacy efforts. PPL provides literacy training through its popular Family Literacy Program. During the past 13 years, more than 5,750 adults and children have participated in Family Literacy classes throughout the Library’s 10 locations. Currently, there is a waiting list of 278 for approximately 120 seats that will be available this fall. PPL’s Family Literacy program was so successful that it was adopted in 1998 as a model for the Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative (RIFLI), a statewide, interlibrary effort to provide literacy instruction to whole families during convenient hours. This is a vital, free, first-step program, requiring no baseline requirements for admission. Dale understands that these literacy programs are essential to the community and have proven success rates over time. Since 1998 RIFLI has served 2,568 people. Last year, the Initiative’s retention rate was 83 percent.
As director of the state’s largest and most complex library system serving the capital city and all of Rhode Island, Dale has embraced her role as a key contributor among the state’s library leadership. Dale serves on several boards and committees and is a resolute advocate for funding and policies that enhance library services statewide. She is a member of the Rhode Island Legal/Educational Partnership Board, The Rhode Island School of Design Library Committee and the URI Graduate School of Library and Informational Services Advisory Committee. She is the Co-Chair of the Rhode Island Library Association’s Legislative Action Committee and an Evaluator for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
In closing, Dale Thompson’s vision of PPL as "a world class library" can be seen clearly through such acts of philanthropy, service and leadership which have guided the Library through two capital campaigns and fostered its enhanced role in the community through the introduction of an array of new and expanded services to meet ever-changing public need. |
