Visit to Host Library: U of I Springfield Thursday 14th & Friday 15th October

I was hosted by Jane Treadwell, Library Director of the Brookens Library at the University of Illinois in Springfield for Thursday and Friday. After the official activities at the Illinois State Library, off we went ...

A programme had been drawn up for me, which included a surprise item (surprise for me, at least) - I was visiting Matheny Elementary School at the request of the school librarian, Jane Running, in the afternoon, so the children could meet a librarian from South Africa. (Jane had previously been at the Illinois State Library and had been involved in Mortensen Center host visits -- and was very keen to have a South African librarian come to visit)

The programme on Thursday consisted of a tour of Brookens Library and the visit to the school.

Friday's programme was more intense - I spent time with Kathy Roegge in Access Services. It was very interesting to see the way they do electronic reserves -- basically scanning the article in as a pdf and making it available for a short length of time. (There is more to it than that, but that is basically what it is) The library was interviewing for a reference librarian and the candidate was being interviewed. Part of the process was an open presentation by the candidate on a brief that that had been given to her, after a tea in which we both met staff. I sat in on the presentation.

Then I spent time with Albert Whittenberg in their Educational Technology section. It seems that the library takes responsibility for IT/Media Services/Equipment in classrooms etc. I saw some amazing technology! And literally every pc in the computer lab had a scanner, plus a couple of them had some video machines attached (for the media students)

After lunch, I did a small presentation on UCT Libraries as the staff were very interested in hearing about us and what we do. Then I spent time with Stephen Smith, Head of Bibliographic Services (including Acquisitions) and a little later with Tom Wood in Archives. Ielleen Miller of Reference who is responsible for much info lit courses etc then took me through a couple of their online courses. Then Albert took me over to see some of the new classrooms -- more amazing technology .... the interactive white boards are something else!

The school visit was fascinating and totally unexpected. I spoke to two groups of Grade 4s and 5s who were scheduled to come to the library that afternoon. I told them a little bit about South Africa -- there was a map of Africa that I could use to get them to find South Africa and Cape Town on. The questions afterwards were fascinating -- do we have tornadoes, do we have hurricanes, do people live in houses, what are the stores like, are there wild animals in my garden, had I ever seen Nelson Mandela in real life... they were equally fascinated to hear that I had never touched snow and a little horrified to hear that children wear school uniform! There were three books on South Africa in the library -- a picture biography of Nelson Mandela, a book on Desmond Tutu and "The day Gogo went to vote".

A big thank you to Jane Treadwell and her husband, Victor Ginsberg, for their wonderful hospitality -- I was so spoiled and made to feel really welcome... so much so, I did not join the rest of the returning Mortenson Associates on the bus back to Urbana-Champaign, but was brought back by Jane and Victor, after a tour of Allerton Park and lunch.

I would like to thank Susan and Barbara, and Bonnie at the State Library for making the trip possible!