2026 Developing Leaders Capstone Projects
Inquiry Ecosystem
 Team Members: Jhenelle Robinson, Emily Viscuso, Sarah McLean-Plunkett
Project Description: Develop a values-driven, people-centered, interdisciplinary toolkit filled with resources and exercises for strengthening the questioning muscle that can be used by all library professionals for team and individual development and empowerment.
Making Real Change: Customer Service in Public Libraries
 Team Members: Margaret Andracchi, Michelle Beutel, Nicole Marconi, Allison Robbins
Project Description: At a time when library staff are asked to be a Swiss Army knife, answers for everyone and every question, staff may feel overwhelmed or unprepared to set up boundaries. This toolkit will offer ways to assist staff in making the encounters meaningful, setting boundaries (when necessary), knowing when to ask for backup or tapping out, and remembering to breathe.
People Need Systems
 Team Members: Alexis Lawrence, Emily McCabe, Alexandra Rappleyea, Michelle Rivas
Project Description: This capstone project will examine how public libraries can better serve homeless and low-income populations through structured programs, partnerships, and resource strategies that reduce reliance on frontline staff as de facto social workers. The project will result in a practical toolkit to help libraries identify, develop, and implement community-based support systems.
Pro at Any Level
 Team Members: Angelina Alicea, Brandon Korosh, Diane Mignault, Josh Rimmer
Project Description: Exploring professional development opportunities for our frontline staff, such as Office Aides, Clerks, and LTAs, who may not be on a management/leadership track but are still seeking meaningful growth and recognition. We also look at the concept of "micro-residencies," where staff would participate in short-term rotations in other departments.
Protect Your People
 Team Members: Victoria Deal, Morgan Hoag
Project Description: Diversity in library staffing is a strength to libraries everywhere, but creating and maintaining that diversity requires work. Especially in a time where marginalized groups, especially LGBT and immigrants, are facing unprecedented levels of attack from society and the government, library administration has to be aware of the threats to their people, and have plans in place to protect them. This project aims to gather information on the attacks facing marginalized communities right now and offer suggestions for libraries to protect their staff.
Readers: Better Together
 Team Members: Alex Civorelli, Kate Eicher, Alex Giresi, Kristen McIvor
Project Description: "Reading that isn't solitary and sedentary". How to facilitate and inspire multi-age communal reading inside and outside of libraries to engage active reading, writing, and discussion; particularly with children who can read independently. Young children are (hopefully) read to by caregivers, teachers and librarians, but once they learn to read, everyone expects them to read quietly on their own. This project finds ways to bridge those communal reading experiences so that readers continue to benefit from communal reading.
The Home Hub
 Team Members: Hilary Albert, Louis Crisci, Ashley Dalle, Tiffany Paovella
Project Description: Public libraries in high-cost regions like Westchester and the Five Boroughs have become the "unfunded front line" of the New York housing crisis. While many libraries offer occasional housing seminars, The Home Hub moves beyond passive information delivery to active civic intervention. The goal is to design a formal bridge between the library and housing networks like Interfaith Council for Action (IFCA) & Community Housing Innovations (CHI) for example. This project transforms the library into a critical node of the safety net, facilitating "warm handoffs" to legal and social experts to prevent evictions in real-time.
Think Outside the Books: Identifying and Promoting Non-Traditional Library Offerings
 Team Members: Melisa Crumrine, Emma Galeotti, Allyson Makepeace, Meghan Wilson
Project Description: Creating a model/ toolkit to identify and to promote effectively all your library services, programs and resources to your community.
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