From the short-term training at the University of Illinois’ Mortenson Center to the ALA 150th Annual Conference in Chicago—after successfully completing a dream-like four-week journey, I have safely returned to my daily routine.

Not wanting to keep everything I saw and felt on-site to myself, I recently held a presentation to share the outcomes with my colleagues. Today, I want to use this blog to document my final week at the Mortenson Center, the stories I shared with my team upon my return, and my reflections as I put a true period on this long journey.

Action Plan

The final assignment of the Mortenson program was the “Action Plan” session, where we presented how we would apply the insights gained here to our future work. I focused primarily on concrete ideas to improve the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) workshop for overseas librarians, which I currently manage.

Experiencing the Mortenson program firsthand, there were many things I felt I absolutely had to incorporate into our own program. Until now, the CPI has mainly consisted of one-way lectures. However, if we closely survey participants’ interests before the start of the program and tailor the curriculum accordingly—just like Mortenson does—we could significantly boost participant satisfaction.

I also gained a huge hint regarding networking methods. Since the pandemic, the Facebook group previously used by CPI has become somewhat inactive. At Mortenson, however, participants and staff communicated effortlessly in real-time through a WhatsApp group chat. I became convinced that by adopting a highly accessible group chat platform, we could maintain sustainable networking not only during the program but long after its completion.

Thanks to carefully incorporating feedback from other participants as I revised and practiced my presentation materials, my Action Plan presentation concluded successfully. I felt incredibly proud to have drawn a concrete roadmap that would take my work to the next level.

Graduation

On presentation day, listening to the other participants’ Action Plans was also fascinating. It was amazing to see how, despite participating in the same program, everyone reached completely different and diverse conclusions based on their own roles and responsibilities. Thanks to this, I gained a much broader perspective on overall library service operations.

Following the presentations, the graduation ceremony took place. Taking pictures with our certificates alongside the UIUC Dean of Libraries and Clara finally made it feel real that the three-week training had come to an end. I was also deeply grateful that my Library Buddy, Lisa, was there to celebrate with us.

After graduation, we all chatted and took many photos. Just as we did on the first day of the program, we gathered in front of the Alma Mater statue on campus for a group photo. Commemorating the beginning and end of our journey in the exact same spot is a moment I will remember for a very long time. Compared to three weeks ago, we had all become so close, making it bittersweet to face the fact that this was the end. We exchanged our goodbyes with firm promises to definitely meet again.

Clara, Vuyo, Gladys, Barbara, Amani, all the local staff who joined the sessions, and our fellow participants who shared the joys and sorrows—thanks to everyone I met at Mortenson, I was able to wrap up the three-week itinerary perfectly. Experiencing their warm hospitality firsthand, I deeply realized that in the end, it is the strong bonds between people that form the true foundation of all this learning and growth.

ALA Annual Conference

After wrapping up the Mortenson program, I traveled to Chicago to attend the ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference. I can’t express how delighted I was to bump into several of my Mortenson friends there!

Fitting for the year marking ALA’s 150th anniversary, the opening session alone was attended by a staggering 3,000 people. I was completely blown away by its overwhelming scale. At the International Librarians Reception, I also had the chance to meet Mortenson alumni from previous cohorts. The realization that we could connect so deeply over the single shared bond of ‘Mortenson,’ despite coming from entirely different countries, gave me a profound sense of emotion and reassurance.

There were other welcome encounters, too. I met so many Korean librarians working at various academic and public libraries across the United States. Finding fellow Koreans walking the same path in a faraway land was incredibly heartwarming.

Every year, the ALA awards innovative practices from libraries worldwide, and one of this year’s winning institutions was South Korea’s very own ‘Daejeon Jeonmin Library.’ Seeing a Korean library proudly receive an award amidst countless foreign librarians made me as proud as if it were my own achievement. Furthermore, ALA President Maria McCauley, who presented the award, is Korean-American. The moment she greeted the crowd in Korean, saying “Ban-gap-seum-ni-da” (Nice to meet you) during her opening speech, remains deeply etched in my memory.

From top leadership positions in the library world to on-site operations, Korean professionals are doing brilliant work in far more places than I ever imagined. It made my heart swell with pride, thinking, ‘The capabilities of our country’s libraries and librarians are truly second to none anywhere in the world.’

Back to Daily Life: Why We Protect the Library

After successfully finishing this packed itinerary encompassing the Mortenson program and the ALA conference, I returned and gave a presentation in front of my colleagues.

It was a time to share the fun episodes I experienced at Mortenson and the insights I gained on-site. Among them, there was one profound point that I emphasized the most.

The single keyword connecting both this program and the ALA conference was undoubtedly ‘AI.’ While it was the biggest topic of interest for librarians from around the world, what truly surprised and educated me wasn’t the introduction of new technology itself.

Global librarians shared a steadfast belief: ‘The library becomes even more essential in the era of AI.’ As an information source that is “Open to all” and “Trusted,” libraries are where we, as librarians, must willingly step up to serve as guides for ‘AI literacy.’ I realized that as technology rapidly advances, our social role as information professionals becomes even clearer and carries much more weight. When I shared this insight during the presentation, my colleagues deeply empathized with it, which made me feel incredibly supported and reassured.

Looking back, this four-week journey was far more than just ‘sightseeing’ advanced foreign libraries. I gained colleagues who share the same concerns across borders and languages, and I was able to rediscover my pride in my profession as a librarian. The time spent at Mortenson will remain an irreplaceable and precious milestone in my career and in my life.