Blog on Fosgail

Applications Open for 2026-27 Leadership Development Cohort

Wed, 20 May 2026 10:27:00 -0400

Applications close Friday, July 3, 2026.

Theological librarianship is changing rapidly and leadership development in our field hasn’t always kept pace. Not everyone has the network or resources to piece together their own path. That’s exactly why the Leadership Development for Theological Librarians program exists: to offer something intentional, supportive, and accessible to theological librarians at early and mid-career stage from any sized institution.

Finding Our Place by Attending to Relationships

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:50:00 -0500

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

When I first started as a seminary librarian with the responsibility to direct a theological library, the dean gave me a mandate: right-size the collection. The library had grown from modest beginnings in the 1820s and was a decade away from its bicentennial. The physical size was over 200,000 bound volumes, including books, periodicals, and special collections. In comparison to other seminaries with similar enrollment, less than 100 students and declining, the library was oversized for the school. While to some it might have appeared a bit overgrown, this was a curated collection of materials to which former professors and students had contributed to over generations. Previous librarians had acquired the personal libraries of important collectors and scholars. It told the story of the school, of the professors who had come before, of the subjects that were taught, and of the viewpoints that were thought important to preserve.

Disrupting Autocracy: Why We Need Attendant Leadership Now

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:44:00 -0500

This is the first of an 8-part series on Attendant Leadership theory.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

I was in a committee meeting recently and witnessed a troubling display of leadership. The type of meeting, the people in the room, and even the agenda are not all that important. This could’ve been any meeting, and in fact, I’ve experienced meetings like this before and I will probably experience meetings like this again.

Embracing the Value of Sharing: A Conversation with Jessica Zairo

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:02:00 -0400

Myka Kennedy Stephens and Jessica Zairo in conversation.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

In episode 8 of the Fosgail Mindset podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Zairo, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at ByWater Solutions, for an extended conversation exploring the profound impact of sharing and open source philosophies on the library ecosystem. Our discussion delved into the cooperative ethos of open source technology and how it can meaningfully transform communities, bringing about a deeper sense of collaboration and mutual growth.

Is Sharing Really a Virtue in Leadership?

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:29:00 -0400

Photo by PeopleImages from Canva.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

“Sharing is caring!” It’s a phrase that we heard as children and a phrase that we’ve repeated as parents and caregivers of youth. Most religious traditions affirm sharing as a virtue. Sharing is embedded in our human systems of values and ethics. However, what happens when sharing is applied to leadership? Is it still a virtue, or a weakness to be avoided?

Introducing Fosgail Community

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:58:00 -0400

Join us in creating a place where curiosity meets collaboration to foster reflection, workplace well-being, and innovative solutions.

Why We Started Fosgail Community

At Fosgail, we’re bringing together librarians and changemakers dedicated to cultivating a well-informed society to nurture curiosity and thoughtful reflection in a safe, supportive space so that we can foster well-being, spark strategic responses, and open up new possibilities for innovation.

Hosted by the Mighty Networks platform, Fosgail Community started in July 2024 as a place for the cohorts of the Leadership Development for Theological Librarians program to convene. At the same time, we soft-launched our Always Open, Forever Free plan as an entry point for friends and fans of Fosgail to connect with one another and stay in touch.

Accepting Applications for 2025-26 Leadership Development Cohort

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:39:00 -0400

Updated 7 August 2025

Apply Now

For a third year, Fosgail is partnering with the John Bulow Campbell Library of Columbia Theological Seminary to offer Leadership Development for Theological Librarians for a new cohort of participants.

Applications are now open for the 2025-26 cohort. This cohort will be led by Dr. Kelly Campbell and Deaconess Myka Kennedy Stephens. We anticipate this year’s program will be receiving grant funds from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.

Fosgail Welcomes New Members to Advisory Board

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:14:00 -0400

We are honored to have two exceptional women leaders newly join our Advisory Board for terms that began in July 2025: Monica Dawkins-Smith and Caran Ware Joseph. They are joining Elizabeth Palmer Bennett, who is starting her second term.

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to help assure objectivity and promote ethical practices. Board members are asked to serve two-year terms and meet two to four times per year to advise the CEO. As part of Fosgail’s status as a benefit LLC, the Advisory Board will be actively involved in our annual assessment of overall social and environmental performance using the GRI Standards.

Invitation to Creativity

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 10:01:00 -0400

Myka Kennedy Stephens and Neil Mackinnon in conversation.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

What is the relationship between creativity and how you spend the majority of your time? Given that those who work full-time in jobs or vocations spend the majority of their time on work-related tasks, I might also ask: How does creativity show up in your day-to-day work?

Fast Facts about Fosgail

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:33:00 -0400

Things to Know about Our Organization

Founded in January 2023.

We are a women-owned business.

We are a benefit LLC registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Our stated purpose creates a public benefit, specifically promoting the advancement of knowledge.

Our mission is to collaborate with clients in ways that create safe space for reflection and curiosity, encourage strategic response, spark innovation, and open possibilities.

Our core values include future-focused, open, sustainable practice, global community, authenticity, advocacy, inclusion, innovation, and love of libraries.

Coaching vs Mentoring

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:46:00 -0400

Image by Heidi Fin from Unsplash

Coaching, Mentoring, and Counseling: Understanding the Difference

An executive coach has many of the same qualities as a mentor or a counselor, but your relationship with your coach is distinctly different.

Mentors are those sage advisors we encounter across the many dimensions of our professional and personal lives. Some we find on our own and some we are paired with through mentoring programs or other formal channels. They have a lot of experience and we turn to them for advice. We trust that they can guide us in the right direction when we have questions or are struggling to make decisions.

Advocacy as a Path to Realize Potential

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:16:00 -0400

Myka Kennedy Stephens and Cynthia Changyit Levin in conversation.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down in conversation with a long-time friend, author and activist Cynthia Changyit Levin. We first met when my family moved to a new area and we discovered our children were the same age. Over the four years we shared the same neighborhood, Cynthia (I knew her then as Cindy) regularly invited us to her house for letter writing campaigns or to join her at the local public library for community events. We’ve stayed in touch even though we’ve both moved away from the neighborhood where we met. I’ve watched her influence on a variety of social and political issues grow while she’s networked with lobbyists and members of Congress, published numerous letters-to-the-editor and op-eds in newspapers across the US, and became a successful author and speaker.

Reflecting on 3 P's: Purpose, Potential, and Possibility

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:02:00 -0400

Image created with Microsoft Copilot.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

This was originally supposed to be an article about potential. Specifically exploring potential as a way of getting out of siloed thinking. I was going to tie it into some of the principles I talked about in my book, Integrated Library Planning, which presents a framework for blending strategic planning with operational planning and evaluation. Exploring potential can help break down the barriers between one mode of thinking and another, building bridges between those compartmentalized spaces our brains construct to help us manage and understand the information we hold.

Fostering Growth in Leaders

Tue, 06 May 2025 08:28:00 -0400

Members of the 2024-2025 cohort of the Leadership Development for Theological Librarians program in front of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

We are passionate about nurturing leaders—especially those in the unique world of theological librarianship. As our second cohort is nearing the end of its program year, we reflect on two years of the Leadership Development for Theological Librarians program. Here is some of our inspiration, philosophy, and special moments that have shaped our work. For our full conversation, please watch or listen to the podcast version linked above.

Disruption as Opportunity for Growth

Sun, 04 May 2025 16:16:00 -0400

My new dog waiting expectantly for a treat. Credit: Myka Kennedy Stephens

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

Disruption. This word has been popping into my head frequently over the past few weeks as I’ve reflected on what’s happening in the United States and the world. Through my lived experience, I am convinced that disruptions present us with an opportunity to grow. I first explored this in a brief post on LinkedIn, and since then my thoughts continued to develop and deepen. So here I am, writing about it some more.

Seeking Two Members for the Fosgail Advisory Board

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:49:00 -0400

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Are you looking to utilize your skills and gifts in ways that would benefit an eco-conscious small business? Do you want to be part of an organization that values libraries, education, global community, inclusion, and sustainable practice?

Fosgail is looking to fill two openings on its Advisory Board, with the two year terms starting in June 2025.

It is an exciting time to join our Advisory Board. While Fosgail is still a young benefit company, we are steadily cultivating our sustainable business practices.

Starting With Intentionality When Confronted With Chaos and Uncertainty

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:34:00 -0400

Enjoying the sunrise on what is hopefully the last cold morning of spring. Credit: Myka Kennedy Stephens

Listen to the Podcast Version Watch the YouTube Version

Chaos and uncertainty are all around us. It’s in the burgeoning of spring as those in the northern hemisphere transition from colder weather and shorter days to warmer weather and longer days. It’s in erratic and extreme weather patterns as the Earth’s climate changes. It’s in our social and political systems as extremist thought and isolationist strategies take hold across the globe. And it’s in our professional worlds, as economic volatility threatens budgets and livelihoods. The stress can be overwhelming. Fight, flight, and freeze are at the forefront of our minds when confronted with chaos and uncertainty.

Looking Back and Ahead: Celebrating Fosgail's First Anniversary

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:17:00 -0500

Just over a year ago, I took a big leap on an ordinary day.

It was January 3, 2023, a Tuesday. I did some very ordinary things earlier in the day: went back to work after the holiday break, saw the dentist for a check-up, ate dinner with my family. And then I sat down at the computer in my home office to continue working on what was becoming my new passion: Fosgail. I didn’t have an expectation of what I would complete that evening. It wasn’t something I planned in advance.

Bennett, Kemmis, and Newbert to Serve on Fosgail's Advisory Board

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 13:49:00 -0400

We are honored to have three exceptional women leaders join our Advisory Board for terms that began in July 2023: Elizabeth Palmer Bennett, Barbara Kemmis, and Jean Stephens Newbert.

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to help assure objectivity and promote ethical practices. Board members are asked to serve two-year terms and will meet two to four times per year to advise the CEO. As part of Fosgail’s status as a benefit LLC, the Advisory Board will be actively involved in our annual assessment of overall social and environmental performance using the GRI Standards.