I greet you well, dear reader,
This is a summary of my overall experience as a 2024 Mortenson Center Associate. If you’ve been accepted to participate in this renowned program, I say “Congratulations”, I hope my reflections whet your appetite for the expectations of this training. If you are interested in participating in this program too, I wish you the very best, and urge you to visit the Associates Program website for all the needed information to apply. This annual leadership and professional development program for librarians and information professionals is hitherto the only one of its kind in the world, and worth every penny. My deep sense of appreciation to Gilbert Perry for introducing this program to me, and also to 2022 Associates Bumbie-Chi and Vuyo Jamieson for guiding me in the application process.



I was accepted into this program as a Principal Library Assistant from the University of Ghana with key interests in emerging trends and technologies; leadership and communication; international professional networking; user-centered services; and multiple literacies. In addition to the American librarians who facilitated our training sessions, my learning objectives were met with the opportunity to train with a cohort of two librarians from South Korea and one each from Azerbaijan, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Serbia, and United Arab Emirates.
The program, themed “Transforming Libraries: New Roles & Impact” comprised mainly of interactive classroom sessions, facility tours, and professional networking dinners. There were other group activities and social gatherings at our leisure that enhanced rapport among us. We developed individual action plans relevant to our libraries and finally participated in an Associates Showcase Presentation to complete the program.
Classroom Sessions
The workshops and interactive presentations were facilitated by staff of the Mortenson Center and other American librarians on different topics centered on the theme for the program These experts engaged us in different brainstorming activities and fostered conversations on new roles to transform our libraries back home. They offered their views on current trends in librarianship and shared their expertise in emerging trends as well. I learned how to evaluate my library services and assess the impact on users. I learned the role of libraries in achieving the sustainable development goals and advancing the UN 2030 Agenda. I have been able to articulate my leadership and communication styles and I have learned how to mirror positive behaviors of co-workers for effective team work. I am more confident in my leadership style now and I am always willing to adapt and or lead any transformative process in my workplace. One of my key takeaways from this Associates Program is SILL (Strengthening Innovative Library Leaders): a curriculum developed by the Mortenson Center with the aim of enhancing the leadership and communication skills of librarians to be innovative in taking initiatives to solve problems by implementing action plans. I am happy to know about such a program that promotes leadership and innovation in librarianship. And I am glad to have access to the flexible SILL training materials for use in my local context.
Facility Tours
The program featured tours to different types of libraries and storage facilities; innovation centers; and instructional labs on and off University of Illinois campus and outside Urbana-Champaign. We travelled to Chicago, IL; Dublin, OH; Columbus, OH; Arthur, IL; and Springfield, IL. These tours complemented the classroom sessions with hands-on learning and exposure to some best practices yielding results in the respective communities. I witnessed how these libraries are transforming and leveraging on technology to stay relevant in our rapidly evolving digital world. I got exposed to some emerging trends and technologies academic libraries are employing to support innovative teaching, learning, and research. I learned how to design and develop sustainable user and human-centered library services for my community. I got enlightened with some critical issues in print and electronic collections and how these facilities are managing their repositories. I witnessed how these libraries are sharing resources to reduce duplication of prints and how their users are benefiting from their various consortia.
Networking Dinners & Library Buddies
We had three professional networking dinners with the Ambassadors of the Associates Program: Barbara J. Ford and Amani Ayad. Barbara and Amani shared some professional tips with us and emphasized on the need to harness the power of collaboration by connecting to each other to form a robust professional network. We enjoyed every moment shared with the ambassadors and wished to spend more time with them.
We were assigned library buddies who were librarians in the main library at UIUC. My library buddy, Atoma Batoma, met me on two occasions at my leisure in his office and also invited me to meet his family and had dinner in his home.

I appreciate the hospitality of Atoma and his family. The warm conversations with his invited friends and the laughter shared with some of his students present made me feel more than a guest that evening. I look forward to spending another time like that with the family and friends of Atoma someday.
“Networking is like the wings of a bird. If you have strong wings, you can fly high” – Muhammad Sajid Mirza during our networking lunch with the ambassadors on June 6, 2024.
From this program, I have established a firm network valuable for my growth and professional development as an emerging academic librarian. Stronger wings to fly high.
Action Plan & Showcase Presentation
My learning objectives for the Associates Program were met beyond measure and based on that I developed an action plan to evaluate my library services and assess the impact on users. My action plan was peculiar to my current unit (Department for the Study of Religions – UG). My showcase on the other hand was applicable to the University of Ghana Library System (UGLS). One of the new roles of academic libraries this program enlightened me with is the provision of Research Data Service (RDS). I learned how RDS is gradually assuming a significant role in the research strategy, and code of practice in academic institutions. I realized how my employer, University of Ghana (UG), is missing out on the opportunity to leverage on the raw research data collected by postgraduate students, faculty and research fellows. I therefore presented a showcase on “Library Initiatives to Enhance Research Excellence in the University of Ghana” with RDS as the key initiative.



In 2014, UG adopted a 10-year strategic plan with the aim of becoming a world-class research-intensive institution, and as a result, a portion of the university’s budget every year is earmarked to support and promote cutting-edge research. Yet faculty and research fellows complete their projects and publish findings, without UG having access to the raw data. Graduate students also complete their studies, submit their dissertations, and exit with their raw research data. This means UG is making high investment in research with low returns. It is therefore imperative for UGLS to be equipped with resources to provide RDS to the university community. This will empower our researchers with effective data management skills that will enhance their competitiveness for research grants and other funding opportunities. RDS will also warrant a research data bank to facilitate data curation; ensure compliance with funding requirements; promote data reuse and research continuity; and enhance academic integrity. The other initiatives presented in my showcase were the establishment of a digital scholarship hub in the Balme Library and subscription to more journal databases.
Staff of the Mortenson Center
The leadership styles of staff of the Mortenson Center are admirable. From the airport pickups to our last day in the program, their arms were always opened to us. Their swift responses to our needs during the program gave us comfort in our new environment. Clara (Director & Mortenson Distinguished Professor) served and supported us in all aspects of the program. The way she executed her role was beyond the usual expectation of a director. Unlike the formal interactions I have experienced with directors and other superiors in my local context, Clara’s style was different. She is an easygoing leader you can approach any day to discuss anything.

She accompanied us to Friday Night Live Champaign: a street-side live musical performances in Downtown Champaign. She took time to personally engage each Associate, listening to our perspectives whilst offering her expertise and guidance. Two Associates were Muslims, and each time the Center provided lunch, Clara ensured that their meals were halal or veggie.
Peggy (Senior Associate & International Library Initiatives Specialist) was also approachable and grounded like Clara. She is humble and always interacted with us as a colleague. She ensured that presentations and other learning materials and resources facilitators promised to share with us were uploaded into our box. Peggy does not joke with her evaluation surveys. She constantly requested feedback from us to assess various aspects of the program. Vuyo (Research Assistant) assisted Clara and Peggy with office support and other administrative tasks remotely due to her tight schedule as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the iSchool. She made time to come around when necessary to facilitate some of the activities of the program. Vuyo was very helpful to me prior to and during the program.



Staff of the Center treated all Associates with much respect and value for our diverse backgrounds. They exhibited passion and commitment to nurture and mentor emerging library and information professionals.
Tips for Associates of the Future
- If possible, come with tokens from your country or institution to share with your fellow Associates and or buddies. I realized throughout the program other Associates had something from their countries to share, and I felt bad I had nothing from Ghana to give as a token. It is not mandatory but can be a remarkable gesture.
- Pack light when travelling so that you can have enough space in your baggage for gifts and other things when returning. You may receive gifts on tours and may do some shopping whilst here, so make room for all that to avoid extra weight or additional baggage charges on your return flight.

On days that we were not too tired from the program, some of us met at Chintan’s room to share a drink and some funny highlights of the week. We had some fun times in the common kitchen at Newman Hall where an Associate or two volunteer to cook and share with all. I travelled with some Ghanaian shito sauce and gari, so on one occasion I prepared Eba with chicken for the house and on another I prepared rice and shito with chicken.









Final Remarks
Leveraging on the exposure, knowledge and skills gained from this program, I am well-versed and equipped to contribute to the sustainable development and success of librarianship wherever I find myself. I am so glad to be part of this experiential learning experience and I am forever grateful to the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs.
Medaase bebree! (Thank you very much)
