April Moyo's testimonial

I was delighted to participate in the International Librarians Networking Program. During this program, I was matched with Mal’akh Ortega, who worked as a librarian in Mexico. We were able to connect via email and WhatsApp to exchange information and share about our own experiences in librarianship this far. If it were not for this program, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to connect with her in this way, if at all. I truly appreciate the Program providing this outlet as a way to engage in the work of other librarians around the globe. We have still been in communication with each other beyond the end of the official program! 

I learned about things happening at her library and overall, we could exchange information about the way things have changed at work during the coronavirus pandemic. It was nice to be able to learn about our daily responsibilities, the operations and services in our libraries, management procedures, virtual programs, quarantine processes, etc. We were also able to share information about professional development opportunities (webinars, or other programs), as well as share personal aspirations, research interests, and professional goals in librarianship. We learned about not only how our libraries responded to the pandemic, but also how our respective government officials have responded on behalf of its citizens. It has been interesting to share dialogue around these issues for the past few months. My partner also emphasized how libraries/librarianship is viewed from her (and I assume others) abroad, from a perspective of someone living outside the USA, which was very insightful, as I have only worked and lived in the United States. We have discussed starting a project together, so hopefully that will come to fruition.

I am thankful for the ILNP for providing this outlet for librarians to connect and share information informally with each other. This environment fosters a unique connection between colleagues around the globe and a sense of community, especially during this difficult time. I hope to participate in a similar program in the future, so that I can meet more librarians and get to know more about others’ experiences in other places around the world. The IRRT has done a fantastic job with presenting webinars and other training, highlighting work happening in libraries in other countries throughout this summer. I am looking forward to more content in the Fall to continue learning and connecting with others, as I hope to one day work abroad. Perhaps in the future, we can also arrange a meet-up online for all of the participants to share experiences and see each other, to further enhance the program.