Paige listens intently and takes notes during an MPLA Leadership Institute session.
Paige Bredenkamp, the Wyoming State Library’s eResources and School Library Consultant, recently attended the Mountain Plains Library Associations Leadership Institute along with the three other Wyoming library professionals who applied and were accepted to the program earlier this year. The event was held May 4-8 at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, and gathered library professionals from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming for intensive learning, networking, and growth.
Institute participants spent their time in Estes Park learning about leadership styles, who they are as leaders, how to better understand and interact with those with differing styles, how to use conflict as a growth opportunity, effective collaboration, and how to inspire and motivate those around them in their communities.
“It was a lot of information, but we had plenty of opportunities to interact with each other and practice using the tools we learned about,” said Paige. “The event was so uplifting, and it was a great time getting away from the hustle and bustle, connecting with nature, and learning new skills.”