Carnegie Library Lab: Reflections on a Programme for Public Libraries 2014 – 2020

Carnegie Library Lab aimed to contribute to the building of innovation and leadership in the public library sector across the UK and Ireland, by supporting both professional and personal development and innovative practice through practical project work.

The programme worked with three small cohorts of early to mid-career individuals for 18 months at a time. The programme ran 2014-2020 and offered each cohort: a small amount of project funding; access to online learning; mentoring; the opportunity to meet and network; and support with external evaluation.

This report is a reflective piece that considers the benefits of the programme overall and learning from it, in terms of what it is helpful to take into consideration in the design and delivery of a programme of this nature. It was launched alongside the online course, Stepping into Leadership, on CILIP’s website at https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/CarnegieLeadership.

This course was developed from the learning materials used as part of Carnegie Library Lab.