ARL Leadership Fellows explore research library leadership at UH Mānoa

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library welcomed participants in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership Fellows Program for a site visit July 28–31, offering the next generation of research library leaders an opportunity to explore leadership, scholarship and the role of libraries in advancing institutional missions.

The four-day visit included two days of programming led by ARL and two days hosted by Hamilton Library. The program brought the fellows together with UH Mānoa and University of Hawaiʻi System leaders, library faculty and staff, and other campus experts for conversations about leadership in higher education and research libraries.

The ARL Leadership Fellows Program is a 13-month hybrid experience designed to prepare emerging leaders for senior and executive roles in research libraries and archives. Through a combination of curriculum, peer and individual mentoring, self-assessment, executive coaching, and site visits, fellows develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead complex organizations and navigate a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

“We were honored to host the Leadership Fellows and to showcase the outstanding work happening at UH Mānoa in general, and at Hamilton Library in particular,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro.

Hamilton’s programming focused on two areas that distinguish UH Mānoa and its library: the university’s work to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning and its internationally significant Hawaiian, Pacific and Asian collections.

The fellows participated in a session exploring Hamilton Library’s efforts to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning and visited ʻIolani Palace to deepen their understanding of Hawaiʻi’s history and cultural context. They also toured Hamilton’s Hawaiian, Pacific, Asia and MAGIS collections, gaining a firsthand look at the breadth and distinctive character of the library’s holdings.

“We are so pleased that the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was able to host the Leadership Fellows Program,” said Audrey Grace, ARL Director of Learning and program instructor. “The fellows gained invaluable insights from the library’s unique special collections and authentic leaders, while seeing firsthand the institution’s clear vision and mission of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning.”

The site visit gave fellows an opportunity to think critically about Indigenous issues they may need to address in their current and future institutions.

“Our work on becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, and our outstanding area collections — Hawaiian, Pacific and Asia — are significantly different from what happens at many ARL libraries,” Guthro said. “The international focus of our collections showed the fellows the importance of research libraries in supporting universities’ global aspirations.”

Connecting library leadership with the university

A central component of Hamilton’s programming was connecting the fellows with UH leadership. University administrators shared their perspectives on institutional priorities, academic affairs, research, student success and advancement.

Hamilton is grateful to the following UH leaders who shared their time and expertise with the fellows:

• Wendy Hensel, UH System President 
• Vassilis Symros, UH Mānoa Chancellor, and Laura Lyons, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence 
• Peter Arnade, Interim Vice President for Academic Excellence and Dean of the College of Arts Languages and Letters 
• Robert Wright, Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship 
• Kapā Oliveira, Interim Vice Provost for Student Success 
• Tim Dolan, UH Vice President of Advancement and UH Foundation CEO, and Eriza Bareng, UH Foundation Senior Director of Development 

The fellows also explored several issues central to leadership in higher education. Deborah Halbert, former Vice President for Academic Strategy, led a session on academic policy creation. Teresa Kono, Director of Faculty Excellence, and Dwight Takeno, Associate Executive Director of the UH Professional Assembly, discussed working in a union environment. David Brier, Hamilton’s Social Sciences Librarian and Business, Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Department Chair, led a session on futures thinking in libraries. Guthro concluded Hamilton’s programming by sharing his own leadership journey with the fellows.

“The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa provided the fellows with a powerful opportunity to connect the program’s curriculum and learning outcomes with the lived realities of leadership in a research library,” said DeLa Dos, ARL Senior Director of Leadership and Transformation. “By opening their doors and sharing their expertise, the University of Hawaiʻi is helping to develop the next generation of research library leaders while strengthening the field’s collective capacity to serve scholarship and society.”

The visit was coordinated by Grace and Associate University Librarian Vickery Lebbin, who arranged local outings and meals around the fellows’ meetings at Hamilton Library. It was the second time Hamilton has hosted an ARL leadership program; participants in the ARL Leadership and Career Development Program visited the library in February 2025.

About the Association of Research Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries is a nonprofit membership organization of libraries and archives at major public and private universities, federal government agencies and large public institutions in the United States and Canada. ARL provides a forum for exchanging ideas and serves as a catalyst for collective action to create, share and sustain global knowledge. The organization advocates on behalf of research libraries, convenes research and higher education partners, shares intelligence on emerging issues, and develops the next generation of diverse library leaders.