By Dominic Agyei Dankwah

One of the most striking lessons I am learning through the Mortenson Center Associates Program is not just about library buildings, technology, or collections. It is about librarians themselves. Like many librarians trained in traditional library environments, I am familiar with roles such as cataloguer, reference librarian, acquisitions librarian, and electronic resources librarian. These positions remain important and continue to support the core functions of libraries. However, our visits to libraries across Illinois and beyond reveal a profession that is constantly evolving.

For instance, at the University of Chicago, The Ohio State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and several public libraries, I encounter librarians working in roles that were uncommon, or did not even exist, a few years ago. Whilst some support digital scholarship and data visualisation, others focus on user experience, community engagement, digital preservation and conservation, research impact, artificial intelligence, instructional design, or open scholarship. In some cases, librarians are embedded directly within academic departments and research teams, working alongside faculty and students throughout the research lifecycle.

What stands out is that many of these roles are shaped by user needs rather than traditional library structures. Libraries are increasingly asking “what problems are our users trying to solve?” instead of “what services do we offer?” The answers to that question are creating new opportunities and new responsibilities for librarians.

This shift does not mean that traditional library skills are becoming obsolete. Rather, those skills are being complemented by new competencies in technology, teaching, research support, data management, communication, and partnership building. The modern librarian is becoming a connector, educator, collaborator, and innovator.

For me, this realisation aligns closely with the theme of the Mortenson Associates Program “Poised for impact: Data, user, and strategy-driven libraries”. Libraries that are poised for impact need professionals who can adapt, learn continuously, and respond to changing user expectations. The future of librarianship will not be defined solely by the resources we manage, but by the value we create for our communities. As I reflect on these visits, I find myself asking an important question. “If libraries are changing, are we changing with them?” The answer may determine not only the future of our institutions, but also the future of our profession.