Week 2: Space, the final frontier

My second week as a Mortenson Associate was all about getting to know more about me and the possibility of libraries. During the weekend before, Lisa Renee took me to the local farmers market, and we visited some other shops as well. I had a wonderful time, and I am very grateful to my buddy for showing me around town.

On Memorial Day, Clara met with us in the morning for SWOT and Professional Development Plan (PDP) exercises. I always had a hard time thinking of my future goals and plans, always unsure of what to write. But there is no right or wrong answer to this, it is something you choose for yourself. So I decided it would be okay to start small, keeping current with the literature and skills, and expand from there. After the morning session, Peggy and Amara joined us on a trip to Allerton Park. The scenery, the weather – everything was beautiful. And Jarling’s Custard Cup was delicious! Everyone should try Clara’s recipe: vanilla flavor with butter pecans and chocolate chip toppings.

The next day, we had a chance to tour the Grainger Engineering Library and iSchool buildings. Grainger is one of the largest and heaviest used libraries on campus. Most of the collections are purchased in digital now, and they try to keep up with emerging technologies and provide hybrid, collaborative spaces to students and faculty. It was fun to look around the Idea Lab with a 3D printing studio, loanable technology, computers and workrooms. One thing I was surprised to find out during the tour was that unlike many of the academic libraries in the U.S., the majority of the University Library’s collection is classified using Dewey. I was also excited to visit iSchool and learn more about their programs. It was nice to look around the buildings as well. The digital art installation, Library of Color, was fascinating. In the afternoon, we went over the G.R.E.A.T. Customer Service Guidelines and had a discussion on providing user-centered service and meeting expectations after we completed the online DiSC assessment.

Wednesday to Thursday morning was truly everything DiSC. We could download our results right after we finished the assessment, but we received a print-out of our profiles and and along with it other materials to help us know more about ourselves, what type of person we are at work, how to work well with others, and better ways to cope with change and transition.

The DiSC model is made up of four basic styles: Dominance, Influence, Conscientiousness and Steadiness. The four styles are divided into 12 different regions, and you can be a mix of two styles. We all have the characteristics of the four styles, but tend to lean toward one or two of them. According to DiSC, I am a CS style, which means I want a steady working environment with a sense of security. I focus on accuracy and providing support to others. I do not enjoy conflicts, taking risks, working without guidelines and getting things wrong. These are actually all correct, although the strengths do sound better than who I actually am. I enjoyed getting to know the different styles, and how this could help us adapt and build a good work relationship with our colleagues. Most importantly, one style is not better than the other. We can all be leaders in our own way, and to that adaptability is key.

Our last tour of the week was to the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (CITL) and Siebel Center for Design (SCD). I think these visits gave me an opportunity to collect my thoughts on ways to offer a better “space” to patrons, which would be the faculty, researchers and students in my case since I work at an academic library. What would be necessary to enhance the educational environment? How could our library fit innovation to the taste of people who need it? How could we help to encourage and sustain a high level of creativity? What could we do to create a more flexible, lively, and collaborative space where our patrons can actively build and share new ideas?

Before and after the discussion session at CITL, we had a chance to look around the Instructor Studio, Media Hub and Innovation Studio. We also have similar facilities in our library and the SNU CTL, so it was interesting to see the similarities and get ideas on additional services we may be able to provide. I had a lot of fun at the Innovation Studio, trying on a VR headset to roam around the streets of France on Google Maps, and making my own keychain with a laser cutter.

The first session at SCD on Friday focused on human-centered design. It is about the connection with people. Solving problems by identifying the unmet need of people. You have to be open to hear the opinions and ideas of users, engaging with them as much as possible to maximize the chance of achieving innovative results. This led to the “How Might We” discussion. We split into groups to collect and share ideas on our dream library space, and then set up a few questions that would foster our ideas and help us design our own ideal space. Ulrike, Tereza, Minsang and I all pitched in to create our initial plan (the VR studio idea was from a group activity that I did with Ulrike and Minsang the week before), and we will get to share more about it during our final presentation scheduled for June 20.

After a tour of the building, the afternoon included sessions on the University Library’s building project, live and virtual technologies focusing on the development of e-text and e-learning, and ways to improve student services. It was interesting to hear about the library’s vision to transform the Undergraduate Library facility into a home for archives and special collections. These changes are affecting the spaces and services of the Main Library, so I think the studies conducted by the Student-Focused Spaces Task Force will play a crucial role in the plans to renovate the building.

+) Some photos from Friday Night Live (Thanks to Clara and Amani for driving us & was happy to see Barbara!)

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