Professional development is universally recognized in education and librarianship as imperative for ongoing effectiveness. Most—though not all—academic libraries support professional development through financial assistance and release time. However, while funding and release time are necessary to professional growth, they are not sufficient. The role of the leader as a steward of organizational culture suggests that academic library administrators should concern themselves with fostering an environment conducive to their subordinates’ professional development. Innovative professional development programs in place at a number of academic libraries stand as a corrective to the seemingly haphazard practices of many libraries and librarians. Further research on professional development in academic libraries is definitely warranted.