by Yoonju Gal
This week was filled with lectures and a trip to Chicago. The weather was hot but clear, which put me in a good mood to start the week.
<Lectures>
On Monday, I attended a lecture on Human Centered Design Methods. It was probably the most memorable class I’ve had at the Mortenson Center. HCD is a problem-solving approach that identifies unmet human needs and develops solutions collaboratively and iteratively. We discussed the difference between User Centered Design (UCD) and Human Centered Design (HCD). While UCD responds to needs, HCD is based on empathy. The key is prioritizing connection with people, working together with those who have needs, and solving problems together. A video example showed how they helped a person with ALS to draw without shaking hands by talking to them, empathizing, creating prototypes, and producing a result, which seemed like a perfect example of human-centered design. I also found the MRI machine designed for children very clever. Ultimately, I learned that human-centered design follows the stages of Understand > Empathize > Ideate > Prototype > Implement.

The next session was about learning workshop tips from Cheelan Bo-Linn. She led the lecture with great enthusiasm, captivating the audience with her passion. I realized I could use her tips when I get the chance to conduct user or librarian training sessions. After following her steps, I noticed significant improvements in the workshop title and objectives I initially created. Her tips included setting clear seminar goals (using appropriate verbs), choosing an interesting seminar title, using a proper hook, and communicating with the audience.

The last session allowed us to experience various devices and programs at the Innovation Studio. I chose the laser cutter, found an image online, and made a cute keychain. After returning to my room, I visited the AI composition site introduced by CITL and created music. I asked for a hopeful story about a librarian named Yoonju, and the AI composed a beautiful song titled “Dreams of Yoonju.” The lyrics included: “Shelves of stories all around. Yoonju’s heart is where they’re found. Pages turn, dreams take flight. Librarian by day, stars by night.” It was impressive technology that could be quite threatening to composers.


On Wednesday, we had a discussion on sustainable development. I had never given much thought to SDGs before, and the concepts were quite new to me. However, hearing associates talk about sustainable development efforts in their libraries made me think that I should discuss and set goals with my colleagues when I return to my library. The Sustainable Development Report site allowed us to view profiles of different countries, and Korea ranked 31st. While we scored high in areas like hunger and quality education, the low ranking in gender equality was shocking, given our country’s level. The detailed breakdown showed a low number of female parliamentarians and a high gender wage gap, indicating a long way to go. This made me realize the need for continuous efforts to bridge these gaps as a librarian.

<Social Activities>
We were grateful to Altrusa for preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for us, which was a precious social event. Experiencing an American Thanksgiving, which I had only seen on TV shows, was very fun. The turkey, salads, and desserts were all delicious. After dinner, we gathered to learn about American Thanksgiving and share stories about holiday foods from different countries. It was a valuable time to experience cultural diversity.





<Library Visits>
On Thursday and Friday, we took a 6 AM train to Chicago. It was a huge city. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a forest of buildings, quite different from the University of Illinois. Our first stop was the ALA Headquarters, where we learned about their main projects. Unlike Korea, the American Library Association is involved in international activities and operated with participation from various countries’ members, which was impressive. They also connected and collaborated through various specialized communities. Seeing the busy office preparing for the upcoming ALA Conference made me excited for my first ALA Conference.



Next, we headed to the University of Chicago. There, I saw another high-density shelving system similar to the Oak Street Library, categorized by material size and recognized by barcodes, but with automated retrieval. The dome-shaped reading room was also very impressive. The dome, resembling a large greenhouse, had columns that acted as air outlets. Air circulated up the dome’s curve and down through the columns.
We were also introduced to the Center for Digital Scholarship (CDS), which supports researchers through digital tools and services. The most impressive project was Mapping Chicagoland, a collaboration with the Newberry Library and Chicago History Museum. It included land use, urban planning, public facilities, topography, and population data, not just simple images. The University of Chicago handled scanning, georeferencing, and metadata creation. Since our library focuses on providing high-resolution images of scanned maps, I thought it would be beneficial to benchmark this project.



On the second day of the Chicago trip, we visited Upshot. Amidst competition among advertising agencies, Upshot’s survival strategies were worth learning. They understood the sentiments of the younger generation, who are less likely to visit libraries these days, and always thought about where their interests lay. They constantly kept up with market trends to predict the future. This made me think about how we, as librarians, can reach out to the younger generation. Instead of wondering why they don’t come to the library, we should think about what we can do to attract them. One creative example was the Doritos event, which combined a scavenger hunt game to capture the young generation’s emotions perfectly.


Though the schedule was tight, I learned a lot from the institution visits and created good memories.