I am a member of the MILE Cohort 2019. This four day institute brings together librarians and other library staff from across fields (public, academic, and school) and across the state and helps enable them to be the next generation of library leaders.
The session that shines the brightest for me occurred on the third day, when Alicia Sojourner from the City of St. Louis Park came and talked about race, identity, and diversity in MN. It was a very thought-provoking day that made me more aware of race in the rural area where I work and whether or not the diversity in my community is represented in my libraries.
In addition to the informative sessions, I also had a great opportunity to network with other librarians from across the state, many of whom I now not only just consider my colleagues but also my friends and mentors.