After a 14-hour flight from Qatar to Chicago, a few days to rest and recover, and a two-and-a-half-hour Amtrak train ride, I finally arrived in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. These are two cities I had heard of and a university I cheered for as a kid because I loved their basketball team, but I had never had the opportunity to visit until now. I applied for the Mortenson Center Associates program because I was on a quest for meaningful professional development. Some of the services I inherited from past leadership and employees needed updating and transformation. This program looked like the perfect fit because it offers multiple avenues to interact with and engage many types of libraries and librarians who spearhead forward-thinking initiatives.
Having already participated in leadership development programs at institutions such as Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill, I entered this experience with a solid frame of reference. Yet what has struck me most in just the first week is how different this feels from anything I have encountered before. It is hands-on, collaborative, and thought-provoking. It provides nonstop exposure to new ideas and different ways various libraries and librarians are approaching information literacy, programming, marketing, and more, all while allowing associates to witness innovation in real time. I can say unequivocally that I have gotten more out of this first week at the Mortenson Center than any other learning experience to date. The schedule is tight, allowing for many touchpoints with experts. It feels like being part of a series of micro-masterclasses.
If I had to pick two highlights from the week, the first would be getting to know my fellow cohort members informally at our welcome dinner. There is something about sharing a meal, playing Jenga, and just talking that accelerates connection in a way no formal session can. The second highlight was our visit to OCLC’s Data Center. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a world-class data infrastructure operates, how troubleshooting is managed, how redundancy is built in, and learning about Kubernetes for the first time was genuinely interesting. It is the kind of learning that sticks because we are not just learning new ways to approach library work in lectures; we, as associates, have the opportunity to discuss new concepts and determine how they may be applicable to our home libraries or how they can be modified to fit our current service models.
Another standout moment was taking the DISC behavioral assessment. Understanding my own behavioral style more deeply and learning to collaborate more effectively with colleagues who fall into different categories are the kinds of self-awareness tools I know I will carry well beyond this program.
The week wrapped up with visits to two of The Ohio State University Libraries and a visit to Westerville Public Library. Both libraries are doing impactful work in their respective communities. I garnered a lot of great ideas from library colleagues at both libraries and left recharged and impressed by the depth and breadth of their collections and services. It was a fitting close to a week that has me reimagining how I can elevate the services and experiences offered at the library I lead.
I came here looking for professional development. What I found in week one alone suggests this experience will be something much more transformative than I anticipated. If week one is any indication, the weeks ahead promise to be equally transformative.
Stay tuned for more…