Strengthening Innovative
Library Leaders (SILL)
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Project funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Output: Stand-alone leadership training materials that work across
languages and cultures. 100 librarians will be trained in three countries.
Pilot sites: Namibia, Myanmar, Armenia
The Mortenson Center team first trains the trainers and then returns to
watch the trainers deliver the training.
• Research Questions:
• Is it possible to develop stand-alone leadership training
materials that will work across cultures and language?
• What content seems to resonate with different cultures?
• What skills do training facilitators need to have to use and
adapt the training materials?
• How do we measure the impact of this training?
The SILL Training:
• Two-day training session with four learning modules:
Leadership, Innovation, Planning, & Communication.
• Training Components:
– Short Lectures
– Icebreakers
Library Leaders as
Communicators
– Group Exercises
– Individual Assessments
– Group Module Recaps
– Small group discussion
– Every participant creates an Action Plan
Leadership
Styles
Library Leaders
as Innovators
Library Leaders
as Planners
Preliminary Findings
What training style and content seem to resonate in different cultures?
• Fun, interactive learning environment
• Slower training pace
• Community-specific examples
• Spending more time on fewer modules
• “Problem Solving” Lesson
• Did not work as stand-alone module; instead problem solving
activities were integrated into each module.
How can we help trainers deliver and adapt SILL content?
• Cut down lectures
• Flexible training schedule
• Videos of others conducting the training
• Training handbook with tips for adapting content
• Annotated, customizable PowerPoint slides
Measuring Impact
SILL employs a developmental evaluation.
• Provides real-time feedback as part of a continuous
development loop
• Results nurture learning rather than simply judge SILL’s success
or worth
Examples:
• How effectively did the Namibian trainers implement the
training?
o Analytic rubric used to evaluate participants’ action plans.
• How are participant mindsets changed as a result of the
training?
o Retrospective post-then-pre survey
o Follow-up survey will be conducted after 2 months.
Conclusion
Is it possible to develop stand-alone leadership training materials
that will work across cultures and language?
So far, Yes.
Next Steps:
• Incorporate feedback from Myanmar
• Translate materials into Burmese and add countryspecific examples
• Return to Myanmar with an independent evaluator
to observe the trainers deliver the content
• Begin developing website to house the training
materials and videos