The four-week program at the Mortensen Center has concluded, and it was an incredibly inspiring and valuable experience for me. Prior to my arrival, I was facing burnout at my job and was longing for a change. However, my time at the Mortensen Center proved to be a pivotal moment, offering me the much-needed motivation for my future career and acting as a catalyst for personal growth.
1. Applying design thinking to my work and library services:
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding and addressing the needs of users or customers. During the Mortensen Program, I reflected on the fact that our library services were not truly user-centric, but rather one-way communication from the library. In my future tasks, I realized the importance of putting users as the top priority, accurately identifying their needs, and providing meaningful services by incorporating their feedback.
2. Visualizing our special collections and making it Linked Data:
One important lesson I learned during the Mortensen Program was witnessing how public and university libraries present their valuable resources through diverse formats, including exhibitions and digital collections, both online and offline. As the National Library, we also possess a vast collection of valuable resources. However, I noticed that these resources are not well organized or visualized, posing challenges for users to access them easily. I am determined to develop services that efficiently organize and provide these resources to users within my capacity. Additionally, inspired by M.J Han, I am eager to implement linked data services, integrating web-based data into our library services. Libraries can learn a great deal from the Web, and the Web can benefit from the wealth of knowledge held by libraries. Thus, making library data searchable on the web and connecting various web resources to our library services, offering users valuable additional information, holds great significance.
3. Developing expertise as librarian and establishing a clear direction:
Lastly, what I appreciated the most about the Mortensen Program were the librarians who led the sessions, guided the tours, and participated as Mortensen associates in 2023. They truly embodied their vision and passion for their work. In our library, where tasks change every two years, it can be challenging to specialize in a specific area. However, I noticed that in other countries, librarians maintain their roles, fostering a culture of expertise and knowledge sharing. This realization motivated me to further develop my skills and expertise. When I return to Korea, I plan to pursue a graduate program in digital services, which aligns with my interests. This will not only enhance my expertise but also provide a clear direction for my career.
Aside from these three points, I had a meaningful and inspiring time during the Mortensen Program. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Clara, Peggy, Uyen, Barbara, and Amani for their leadership and constant positivity throughout the program. Thank you all!