24-26 June 2024
Past week was one of the main building blocks of the program, which created the layout for our future professional activities when we get back home.
Meanwhile, to get more knowledge about the history of the State of Illinois and overall the USA, we travelled to Springfield, Illinois, which is best known as the hometown of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. This historic city houses the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which offers an immersive experience into Lincoln’s life and legacy. The museum features engaging exhibits, including realistic dioramas and interactive displays that bring Lincoln’s story to life. Visitors can explore Lincoln’s time in Springfield, his rise to the presidency, and his enduring impact on American history. Jade Kastel, Steven Ward, Christen Stanley provided broad information about the history of the Library and kindly guided us to see an extensive collection of documents, artifacts, and research materials related to Lincoln and the Civil War era.
We also had a chance to visit Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield and watch short film about his life and political journey there.
Another visit was to Illinois State Library, which serves as the primary resource for state government, offering a vast collection of books, digital resources, and historical documents. It supports state agencies, legislators, and the public with research and reference services, and plays a vital role in preserving Illinois’ cultural and governmental history. The library also manages programs that promote literacy and library development across the state. Our tour guides were Ryan Franklin & Leslie Starasta, the staff members of the Library.
Last days of the program were hectic because of the time constraints and preparations for the upcoming Graduation Day. The day before the graduation, seminars and tours were running as scheduled and we didn’t want to miss the chance to attend them all.
A number of professional sessions, such as Strategic Foresight & Techniques by Lisa Hinchliffe, Research Data Services & Data Literacy by Sandi Caldrone, Consortia – CARLI Network by Anne Craig, Senior Director, as well as Savvy Researcher by Merinda Kaye Hensley, also tours to Siebel Center for Design guided by Nicholas Puddicombe and to Campus Instructional Facility guided by Eric Vetter offered us valuable insights into emerging trends and techniques in the field, enhancing our ability to anticipate and adapt to future challenges. The focus on research data services and data literacy provided us with understanding to better support patrons in managing and utilizing data; exploring library consortia helped us to get the essence and details of the collaborative networks. The tours to innovative facilities provided inspiration for integrating modern design and technology into our own libraries, ultimately improving service delivery and user experience.
Graduation Day arrived and each of the participants delivered a 5-minute presentation describing his/her library activities aligning with the topics of the program or his/her action plan after he/she is back to home. In the end we received our Certificates.
Memories of graduation day and the entire program are precious, especially because most of the people who mentored, taught and accompanied us throughout the period were there to show their support.
Thank you for all your efforts and dedication in making this program a success!
P.S. I didn’t realize how the hours passed, and was really sad to leave early, because on that day I had my flight to San Diego to attend and present my poster at the 2024 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, which was very successful for me.