In 2017, with the support of the LYRASIS Board of Trustees and a cross section of 101 members, LYRASIS designed a 3-pronged strategy to meet the challenge of future innovation head on. Today we have over 150 institutions of all stripes, sizes, and types. What these organizations all share in common is a drive to not wait for change, but to be part of change. By combining the innovative ideas (Research) of the Leaders Circle, with LYRASIS’s ability to productionize programs or service (Development) and working across all of the 1,733 members (Channel), we have created a non-profit R&D/Channel Development process that is unparalleled. As a technology and services member focused not-for-profit, we have invested over $2M back into our members since 2017.
Leaders Circle
This is our forward looking, think tank group of members who are early adopters, not content to wait for change to come to them, but want to be part of the change. They are committed to helping build sustainable programs, services and solutions by establishing standards, fair pricing and governance that will impact the broader community. This group meets in person once a year, but is regularly engaged with the work that is underway. Leaders Circle participants include senior professionals in archives, galleries, public and academic libraries and museums. Leaders Circle membership is open to all existing LYRASIS members at a slightly higher membership rate than the institutional membership (which is more focused on transactional services). Please consider joining.
Leaders Forums
These are smaller, more nimble, gatherings across the US, Canada and soon the globe, to discuss, explore and workshop ideas, problems and potential solutions that might be funded. Experts from the LYRASIS team and from the LYRASIS membership bring new concepts, trends and ideas to be roundtabled. Typically there are 4-8 meetings each year. Output is shared and posted for discussion. This is open for all Leaders Circle members and by invitation for anyone else. Please contact us to participate.
2020 Forum Dates TBD
Benefits of the LYRASIS Leaders Circle
Shape the future through the LYRASIS Catalyst Fund
Collaborate and Discuss with the Community at Regional Leaders Forums
Expand your Expertise with Strategic Leadership and Key Professionals
Work with Your Fellow LYRASIS Members at the Member Summit
Enjoy Exclusive Access to the Leaders Circle Annual Meeting
Joining the Leaders Circle is invite only. If you would like to be considered, please contact email Jennifer Bielewski to set up a 1:1 call.
Catalyst Fund
This is where good ideas from members get seed funding from monies reinvested into the membership by LYRASIS. Each year, between four and eight member-voted ideas, voted on by the Leaders Circle to assess their impact across the broad swath of our community, are directly funded. A LYRASIS expert is assigned as program manager to each idea to help speed it along and ensure that partnerships, connections and linkages are quickly put in place to help the idea grow and be tested. Each idea is presented back to the Leaders Circle for discussion and determination of next steps. This work results in a final assessment by LYRASIS and the Leaders Circle to determine if the idea is viable for future investment, and if so a business plan designed for sustainability will be developed, and the idea will be fully funded and implemented by LYRASIS.
The Leaders Circle is a LYRASIS program for our most active, visionary and forward-thinking members - those who are not content waiting for innovations to come to them, but instead want to actively shape the future. Composed of more than 100 LYRASIS members and thought leaders, our Leaders Circle gathers for a special meeting at our annual Member Summit and works together to not only discuss new ideas and solutions, but also actively test and try these ideas in the real world through our Catalyst Fund.
