By Yunjin Choi
After completing a month-long journey, I write this final blog post with mixed feelings. Even in the last week, we continued to learn, share ideas, and stay active. We all successfully completed the Mortenson Center program with the help of our library friends, including Clara, Peggy, Vuyo, Amani, Barbara, and many others.
Benchmarking
On Monday, Clara and Peggy drove us to Springfield to visit the Lincoln Library and Museum, the Illinois State Library, and the Lincoln House. The Lincoln Library had more and diverse materials than I expected, with a professional management system, 13 librarians, and strong financial backing. The ALPLM Collection, rich in audiovisual, digital resources, manuscripts, and newspapers, was particularly impressive in its scale and management. In the presentation sesstion, the librarian curated valuable materials, providing storytelling explanations that highlighted the significance of 1800s artifacts through their excellent preservation and dramatic narratives. This library serves as a model example of a subject-specialized library.
Among the campus facilities, we explored the Siebel Center for Design and the Campus Instructional Facility, both offering valuable insights in terms of space utilization. The Siebel Center for Design is an innovative space expanding the facilities provided by CITL, allowing many students to benefit. While CITL serves as a pilot operation for both faculty and students, the Siebel Center for Design focuses on student autonomy and experimentation, providing ample space and resources. It was impressive to see a space where students from all disciplines can gather, experiment, and collaborate. The Campus Instructional Facility’s classrooms, optimized for various teaching and learning types, were also inspiring. The diverse configurations of desks, chairs, and monitors, tailored to different communication needs, maximize learning effectiveness. I felt a strong desire to participate in classes utilizing these spaces and believe they could serve as excellent references for library space innovation.
Learning
The sessions this week were all centered around the theme of research. As a member of the Research Support Services team in our library, I participated actively in all related sessions. Sandi Caldrone’s session on Research Data Services was particularly impactful, because our library does not have a separate repository for research data sets. It was a time to explore how librarians can support individual researchers’ data management, even without in-depth knowledge of each discipline, and what procedures would best assist researchers. Other sessions provided new insights into actual operational cases, allowing me to concretely consider how to apply these ideas in our library.
Graduation
Reflecting on what we learned, we had a session to draft and present our action plans to implement immediately upon returning to Korea. This process of thinking about and sharing what I can realistically implement in the library helped consolidate the lessons and thoughts from the past month. It’s hard to believe that in a few hours, I’ll return to my library and get back to reality. The time spent struggling to listen and speak in English, and the faces of those who kindly and generously helped me participate in the program, come to mind. Ultimately, all 12 of us graduated splendidly from the 2024 Mortenson Associates Program. I think this month will be a turning point in my library life. I want to extend my deep gratitude to Mortenson Center and all the librarians who supported us. And finally, I leave a few words for our members who fought alongside each other for a month.
Prince Dwomoh, our leader! Thank you for being the reliable core of our program from the moment we arrived at Newmall Hall until the last program ended. Thanks to you, I received a lot of help and was able to have a great time.
Yoonju (Rachel) Gal, it was wonderful to have a Korean friend to talk to comfortably and rely on in an unfamiliar place. I believe you will do well wherever you are, whether abroad or anywhere else. I’ll always be cheering for you.
Liya Louis, I was always worried whenever you said your neck’s pain, but I hope you get the treatment you need in your home and recover well. You are always sharp, intelligent, and humorous. I learned a lot and laughed a lot thanks to you. I will miss you.
Elizabeth Malabanan, as a library leader, I learned a lot from your constant efforts to collaborate and your active consideration and action towards the development of the library. I hope you achieve everything you set out to do in the Philippines.
Vafa Mammadova, the only CS type among us, I was amazed and moved by your always passionate and sincere attitude. I’m sure you will do great at the poster session at ALA, and it’s a pity I won’t be able to see it. I will miss our warm conversations.
Jessica Lewis Marshall, did you notice how much I relied on and liked you? Thank you so much for always being there to comfort and support me wisely whenever I was worried or troubled. It was nice to have a friend to talk to about homesickness. I will remember every conversation we had.
Muhammad Sajis Mirza, I was touched several times by your kind and considerate nature. It was really fun sitting next to you and talking on the Chicago subway and during the Arthur trip. I still think about the meals you made for us last night. Thank you.
Khadija Mohsen, I learned a lot from your endless wit and your selfless generosity. I was always moved by the way you treated people and your thoughtful attitude, which is why I often hovered around you to spend more time together. Did you notice? I loved all the stories you shared.
James Nyakundi, thanks to your cheerful and intelligent nature, I laughed a lot and made many good memories. It’s so funny and embarrassing that I mistook you for a younger brother. I am excited about the innovative library you will create in Kenya, full of love and responsibility. I’m cheering for you.
Chintan Pandya, my first buddy, you are truly amazing, knowing and experiencing so much and generously sharing all of it with everyone. I learned a lot from your continuous desire to learn and your willingness to take on new challenges. Thank you.
Daniela Skokovic, thanks to you, I became very curious about Serbia and now really want to visit. I learned a lot from your loving, generous nature, your contemplation of better things, and your respectful attitude towards everyone. My desire to grow up to be like you is genuine. Thank you until the very end.