Join us for the Summer 2026 Virtual CARLI New Directors' Institute held across two-hour Zoom sessions on July 13 and July 21.
The CARLI New Directors' Institute is designed for library directors in their role three years or less; however, all CARLI member library directors are welcome to attend.
Please register to attend each session. All programs will be recorded except the final Directors' Panel.
Session 1: July 13, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
- 9:00 a.m. "Communicating with the 'Dark Side' - Dr. Sarah Zehr Gantz
- 10:00 a.m. "Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries" - Dr. Kate McDowell
Join Dr. Sarah Zehr Gantz and Dr. Kate McDowell to learn skills for communicating with your administration and how to craft evidence-based narratives for library advocacy and impact!
Session 2: July 21, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- 10:00 a.m. "CARLI Services Overview" - CARLI Staff
- 11:00 a.m. "Directors' Panel: Sharing Experience, Answering Questions"
Learn about CARLI Services and benefit from the perspective of experienced library directors at CARLI-member libraries.
Send your questions or topics of interest for the Directors' Panel by July 10.
Program
Session 1, July 13, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. "Communicating with the 'Dark Side'" - Dr. Sarah Zehr Gantz
This interactive session will provide strategies for communicating with administration at your institution. Talking with administrators can be daunting and frustrating, but it does not have to be. Come with a message you want to communicate to your administration that can be used as an example or case study throughout the session.
Sarah Zehr Gantz is Associate Vice President for Academic Initiatives and Policies within the office of the Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs in the University of Illinois System. In this role, she works with academic programs and activities at the three system universities. Previously, Sarah held various roles at the Urbana-Champaign university, including admissions and career services within academic units, and public engagement, international relations, and corporate relations at the campus level. She also worked in consulting and nonprofit roles prior to joining the staff at the university. Zehr Gantz earned a BS in finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a PhD in higher education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and she is currently pursuing a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) from Urbana. Zehr Gantz’s research interests include experiential learning programs such as internships, cooperative education, and apprenticeships, as well as higher education policy and international issues. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, reading, and community service.
10:00 a.m. "Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries" - Dr. Kate McDowell
How can your library craft stories from data ethically? Dr. Kate McDowell will introduce key ideas from her book Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries (ALA Editions, 2025), designed to help all library workers—whether data experts or story experts—craft evidence-based narratives for advocacy and impact. Participants will learn how to:
- Leverage classic narrative structures for true stories that connect emotionally
- Understand and reach diverse audiences with stories that inform and persuade
- Increase the resilience of libraries through strategic approaches to contemporary conflicts
Based on McDowell’s 30 years of library work and over a decade of consulting, this session shares insights from the IMLS-funded Data Storytelling Toolkit for Libraries. In an era of rising censorship and shrinking budgets, critical data storytelling supports library workers from the smallest rural branches to the largest academic institutions. This session is for anyone who wants to use data to tell the story of why libraries matter—truthfully, powerfully, and strategically.
Learn more about her book.
Session 2, July 21, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. "CARLI Services Overview" - CARLI Staff
Learn more about the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), our staff, our relationship with the University of Illinois System, your membership and value, services available to your library, and committee opportunities.
11:00 a.m. "Directors' Panel: Sharing Experience, Answering Questions"
Benefit from the experience of CARLI-member library directors at diverse institution types and sizes on topics of interest or concern to you! Please share your questions or topics of interest before July 10.
