I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I arrived here! I came with high hopes for the experiences ahead, and I plan to write a weekly summary of my journey.
Welcome Dinner Party
On my first Sunday, Lisa and her husband hosted a welcome dinner for us. They wanted us to experience a classic American picnic in their garage. When we arrived, we greeted everyone and chatted. I met a Korean librarian, and talking about libraries in the US and Korea was very interesting.
It was fun meeting staff from different backgrounds and hearing new stories. We had delicious BBQ and played games together. I showed them how fun “Korean Jenga” is (it’s actually a very thrilling game!). I was so grateful and happy for their warm hospitality.
DiSC
The most memorable session this week was the DiSC model analysis. This analysis tells me about my workplace priorities and preferences. I got the “C” type, which stands for Conscientiousness. When learning about each type, I strongly related to the C type description. It really helped me understand why I think and act a certain way at work. The phrase that resonated with me the most was “Do it right the first time.”
The instructor, Shirley, said the most important thing is “Adapting.” We shouldn’t judge others, but simply recognize their behavior and adapt. For example, my desire to do things perfectly from the start can sometimes slow down work. If I understand that my behavior comes from wanting accuracy, but try to just start “roughly” first, it will help me overcome difficulties at work.
The next day, we did an activity about how each type acts in different situations, which helped me understand other people’s types. I looked back to see if I had unknowingly judged others or acted biased at work. It was a very useful time with lots of practical takeaways.
OCLC
On Thursday and Friday, we went on a field trip to Ohio. Visiting OCLC, which I had only seen in textbooks, was a truly meaningful experience. With the staff, we toured the facility and learned about OCLC’s various services. Hearing and experiencing what I had only learned in books made it feel much more real.
Seeing them monitor their online services 24/7 felt familiar because we do the same at my library. I was impressed by the staff working hard to provide uninterrupted services. We also toured the data center where the servers are kept, and I learned for the first time that they are spread across different countries.
It seemed like the staff there had been working in the same roles for a long time. I wondered how they started their careers, and I thought they must be very proud to work at such an important organization for librarians.
Ohio State University
When I first saw the Ohio State University Library, I thought the exterior looked very traditional and historic. But when I went inside, I was amazed by the very modern and stylish interior, which was quite a contrast. The view of the book collections through the glass walls along the main hall was stunning.
I heard they have 14 million items, and I was impressed that they have various spaces like rare book rooms and map rooms to match that scale. The most memorable thing was their inter library loan service. They organized a list of institutions providing this service to share nationally, and they created guidelines for copying materials. Now, those guidelines are used all over the US.
As someone working at a national library, I know the importance of standards and rules when providing services. In Korea, my library usually sets those rules and shares them with other libraries. I was surprised that an individual university library took on that role here. It gave me the impression that they are very proactive in their work. I think it’s the result of constantly thinking about how to provide better services to users. So cool!
Westerville Public Library
Our last visit was to a public library. This library provided so many different services for the local community. There were some similarities to Korean public libraries, but the “Seed Library” was very new to me. I thought it was very clever to use old card catalog cabinets so users would recognize it as a library service, combined with “seeds,” which you wouldn’t expect to see in a library.
Above all, I was impressed that their various services are consistently maintained at a high quality. The facilities were not broken or worn out, and everything was ready for users to use right away. From the passionate staff I met there, I could feel they are always working hard to maintain these services. Seeing users constantly visiting to enjoy these services made me think deeply about the role of public libraries for the community.