In June 2013, IMLS and OCLC brought together influencers from across the nation to discuss mutual interest in continuing education (CE) for library and cultural institution staff. Participants came from a wide range of organizational backgrounds, and were selected for their ability to represent CE needs and activities at a national scale.

The goals for the meeting were to share current knowledge of existing and emerging CE needs in the United States; discuss strategies and activities of organizations that influence or offer continuing education nationally; and generate ideas for how to coordinate efforts and foster collaboration.

In hosting the event, IMLS and OCLC aimed to jump-start coordinated, near-term plans for innovative projects and partnerships. An outcome of the summit was a shared understanding of organizational priorities toward improvement of the impact and sustainability of CE for the field. Further, participants came away from the event with a clear sense that they could work in cooperation to more effectively meet their own institution’s goals while also advancing the goals of CE overall.

In August 2013, the CE Coordinators Forum discussed this report, and their comments are included as an addendum to the report.