Here is a copy of the report that I submitted to Susan:
My final report is divided into three sections:
1. What I learned/accomplished while I was here
2. What I hope to accomplish on my return to the University of Cape Town Libraries as well as to LIASA nationally and within the Western Cape Branch
3. Short evaluation of the Mortenson Center program overall
1. What I learned/accomplished while I was here
During the two months spent here, the International Library Program has expanded my horizons and opened my eyes and mind to new opportunities and ideas, as well as, in some cases, made me look at old ideas afresh. The experiences and networking activities, meeting other librarians and sharing our experiences and concerns also gave me pause for thought -- I had this idea [I suppose many of my colleagues back in South Africa would have the same idea] that many answers lie in the United States – the best practices, the solutions -- and that libraries in the States are almost perfect. If there can be only one thought that I am taking back with me , it is that the problems are common all over the world, that we all face similar problems -- advocacy, budget cuts etc etc -- and to solve those problems (which come with different cultural and societal overlays) is something librarians across the world need to work on together through sharing of experiences and so on.
But thankfully, I am not limited to only one thought!
Just before I left South Africa, I was asked what my expectations were about the program, and what I hoped to achieve --- my response was that I was looking for “A-Ha” moments, and I have not been disappointed! In fact, I have been overwhelmed! These moments have come at different times, in different sessions, in mid-conversation with fellow librarians at my host institution, some at most inopportune times. I felt my horizons broaden and myself grow and develop within a couple of weeks of being here. I am certainly going back to South Africa a different person, re-invigorated and re-energized, and very much aware of myself, my strengths and my weaknesses.
It is very difficult to pick out highlights as the whole programme was inspiring and a feast and I have enjoyed every bit of it, taking what I can - eating as much as I can. I will need time to digest and mull over, and internalize my experience.
I would like to say that I cannot really pick out one or two highlights -- the whole programme was a highlight -- but I don’t think that would be an acceptable answer! Different parts of the programmes were highlights for different reasons.
Some of the highlights include are the host visit to the University of Illinois Springfield Brookens Library with my host Jane Treadwell; the ILA Conference in Chicago and the Reaching Forward South Conference. Learning to put together a country presentation with a group of 6 other very individual librarians trying to work together as a team, to get one whole integrated product which we were all happy with, was another very challenging highlight - Blood, sweat and tears! A lesson in teamwork!
The Digitization course was different -- and a major learning curve for me -- especially as it was the first online (WEBCT) course that I have ever participated in. I’m still not too sure if I am comfortable with learning something through using an online method, but this will be something that I need to work through myself. There was a lot of reading to do on the screen and that was quite hard! I can see opportunities for other courses, particularly info lit when it can be integrated into the curriculum.
Although I am very familiar with Web Design (my honours paper in 2003 was Web Design and Construction), I found this course very useful -- it served as a refresher – but also introduced me to blogging, which I had a vague idea about. The idea of learning about webblogs was to show us how quickly one would publish on the internet, and to then use it so we could practice our HTML skills. I now have my own webblog which I have been using as a diary while I am in the United States. The address is
http://www.librarianonaquest.blogspot.com and if you have a look at that, you will see that I have had many A-Ha moments or thoughts/questions that have been raised in my mind.
The chance to explore software like MS Publication and the assistive features on MS Word was great. Although I use MS Publication and MS Word, one does not often get the opportunity to explore the software when you are caught up in the day-to-day workday. You really only use the features that you can quickly discover!
What else were highlights? The sessions on Management with Dale Silver and Terry Weech; Playing Pomojo …. The Customer Service session using the FISH philosophy; the uncannily accurate DISC personality test. What can I say? The whole programme was a highlight.
2. What I hope to accomplish on my return to the University of Cape Town Libraries and to LIASA nationally and within the branch.
There are already two confirmed items on my “To Do” list on my return:
• 24 November, Alvina Matthee and myself are scheduled to do a short presentation to Western Cape LIASA members at our end of year breakfast meeting, on the programme
• An article has been commissioned by the editorial staff of the Cape Librarian (the in-house journal of the Cape Provincial Library Services) on the programme, or some aspect of the programme
Generally speaking, I will go back to share my experiences, observations and A-Ha moments with colleagues both at the University of Cape Town Libraries and other academic libraries within the Western Cape, as well as within the Western Cape LIASA branch. This may be in an informal setting such as a conversation over the reference desk or with colleagues in the staff room, or may be in a formal setting such as a presentation to colleagues or to LIS students. If what I pass on, leads to A-Ha moments for others and leads to e.g. development of services or changes in policy or direction or even changes in attitudes, then that will be an accomplishment of the programme.
Within UCT Libraries, I particularly want to take the opportunity to be more involved in policies/activities related to information literacy and the marketing (advocacy) of the library. I see the two as going together, and certainly the ideas and sessions that I have been exposed to while here, have confirmed this. I hope that my library director will continue her support of my presence on this programme by enabling me to be able to participate in these and to use the ideas, skills etc that I have developed while here.
On my return to South Africa, my priority has to be the completion of my research proposal and short project for the B.Bibl Hons degree that I am pursuing. I was due to graduate at the end of this academic year (December 2004) but this will not be possible as I have been here. However, if I can complete everything by the end January 2005, I will be able to graduate in July 2005. My research topic looks at access policies for secondary users in the academic libraries in the Western Cape. I hope to pursue this topic further for my Masters dissertation. Much of what I have seen here has indicated that we need to explore multi-type consortia in South Africa if the digital divide is not to be perpetuated.
There is one programme that I would like to develop further and offer to my colleagues and to LIASA members in the Western Cape, and that is Customer Service using the FISH philosophy. If I can persuade our colleagues that this is the philosophy and attitude to bring to work or better still, bring to one’s life, then that would be great.
Ujala Satgoor and I have already spoken about my contribution towards LIASA nationally. We have identified involvement with the LIASA webpage as a contribution that I can make, and this will be further explored on our return.
3. Short evaluation of the Mortenson Center International Program overall
What I liked:
• The full program covering a broad expanse of subjects and experiences and observations. The visit to Chicago to ALA, and ILA, the host visit to Springfield – the exposure to American culture was so positive.
• The networking opportunities were brilliant - I have now have contacts in academic libraries, who work in the information literacy field and whom I will contact once I am back at my home institution.
• The opportunity to mix with librarians from other parts of the world and learn and share with them (and realize once again, that the issues are common!)
• Friends -- I have had good experiences with the “Friends” that have been given to me, Joyce Wright here at the Undergraduate Center, Pamela Ortega from Eastern Illinois University (who introduced me to a number of librarians there who are involved in Information Literacy as well as services to the wider community by the academic libraries); and Jane Treadwell and her husband, Victor Ginsberg at U of I Springfield. The staff of the libraries that I spent time in, have been so kind, welcoming, hospitable, and ready to share and to allow me to share with them -- and the surprise visit to the elementary school with Jane Running was entertaining and informative! (I haven’t worked with young children in large groups for years!)
What I didn’t like:
There was very little that I didn’t like. We had been warned that the program was going to be very full, and that we would be moving out of our comfort zones. It did mean that a lot of material was covered in a very short space of time. As an example, the material covered in the HTML course over those few sessions, was the same material that I covered in the year-long course last year.
I would have like a mixture of practical and theory in the digitization class -- but there again, I found it a bit difficult to adjust to the online only milieu. And at the time of writing this report, we have not yet had our one-day workshop.
But the program has been long … 8 weeks is a long time to be away from home, and at times, the homesickness was difficult to cope with (both in myself and then seeing others that were homesick). Thank heavens for email, but it is not the same…
Recommendations:
I don’t have too much to recommend, other than to suggest that the HTML training happens in the program, so that the participants learn about webblogs quickly, and can then use them for recording purposes for reports, etc as well as giving them HTML practice.
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