2nd week, better than before

By Yunjin Choi

It’s already the second week! I don’t even know how time passed because I was participating in a meaningful program every day. The weather on campus is still perfect, and Champaign, Illinois now feels like home. Let me tell you what I did this week.

Networking

Thanks to the invitation from Altrusa, an international service organization with professional diversity and expertise, we had a delightful time introducing and learning about each other’s cultures at their Thanksgiving Day party. It was my first time attending a home party since the Welcome Party at Barbara’s house. All the exotic and delicious foods like various salads, turkey, and cookies made me happy, and I enjoyed the conversations on various topics with the people I met. Despite meeting everyone for the first time, they were incredibly kind and generous, making me feel like I was celebrating Thanksgiving Day with an American family even though it is summer now. I would like to extend my gratitude once again to the Altrusa group for their warm hospitality and for giving us such entertaining stories and memories.

I have several Library Buddies here. My original buddy is Sarah Park, the assistant professor and head of the Mathematics Library. I was immediately captivated by her charisma when we first met, and through our conversations, I was charmed by both her warmth and chic personality. A few days later, after attending an impressive cataloging session by MJ Han, I recognized her as a Korean librarian and eagerly introduced myself before the next lecture started. She warmly suggested that we have a gathering with Sarah, another Korean librarian Sunga, and Rachel, who is also participating in the program with us. On the agreed day, we went out of campus, enjoyed delicious food, and shared honest stories about our lives as librarians in Korea and the US. The many words of comfort, encouragement, and support we exchanged filled my heart with warmth and gratitude long after returning to Newman Hall. I am thankful and happy to be forming such valuable connections here.

Learning

CITL is an institution focused on instructional design, similar to CTL at Seoul National University. Since CTL at my university mainly helps professors with course design and coaching or supports student learning, I initially wondered what I, as a staff member and librarian, could learn at CITL. I discovered that CITL supports not only faculty but also staff and students in all aspects related to teaching and learning. Among the many things I learned, the session on Human-Centered Design left a significant impression. It emphasized viewing library users as individuals and sincerely communicating and listening to them. It also stressed the importance of providing better services and spaces by thoughtfully considering users’ perspectives and collaborating to find good solutions. This made me reflect on areas where I had been lacking in my work.

Other than that, this week, various lecture sessions provided numerous opportunities to rethink how our library has traditionally operated and consider how to define problems and evaluate factors to achieve sustainable development and innovation. I learned several methods for questioning the status quo, conducting detailed reflections, and devising short- and long-term plans and strategies for achieving SDGs. Using the examples shared by the University of Calgary and Clara’s class on SWOT, SWOC, and PDP (Professional Development Plan), I plan to concretely envision my future as a librarian and the future of our library.

Benchmarking

Finally, this week included the highly anticipated trip to Chicago, where we visited several institutions and gained valuable benchmarking opportunities. Visiting the ALA headquarters was particularly special. Having handled external relations at the library for five years, including paying ALA membership dues and supporting our librarians’ attendance at annual conferences, I often accessed their website and communicated with their staff, making ALA a familiar association for me. It was meaningful to learn about ALA’s efforts to promote librarianship through advocacy, equity, freedom, and sustainability.

At the University of Chicago Library, I was inspired by the advanced high-density robot tech library and had an enriching time discussing digitization and research materials with the responsible librarians. The visit to the Chicago Public Library left me amazed first by its impressive nine-story structure and then by the meticulously designed services and spaces that cater to the diverse needs of its users. Observing how individuals at Upshot utilized their librarian experience and skills to carve out unique careers in different fields made me reconsider how I could contribute as a librarian in other areas and how to approach personal and institutional branding.

Traveling

During the business trip to Chicago, after completing the scheduled itinerary and over the following weekend, I took the opportunity to explore the city and discover its charms more thoroughly. I will never forget the beautiful sunset I witnessed from the cruise, the stunning night view of the Michigan River lined with gleaming buildings, the music I enjoyed at the jazz club, the fireworks party at Navy Pier, and the hours I spent at the Art Institute of Chicago, admiring and engaging with the works of artists I have long admired.

Now the entire program is already halfway through. Can you believe it? I can’t. I plan to make the most of the remaining time to learn and grow as much as possible and to spend quality time with these valuable connections.