Liberty librarian travels to Uzbekistan as Fulbright Specialist

For a portion of last fall, David Leffler, the Discovery & Access Librarian at Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Library, served as a Fulbright Specialist at the Namangan Institute of Engineering and Technology in Namangan, Uzbekistan. While there, he offered his library technology expertise to help modernize the institute’s library and make connections with post-Soviet librarians.

Leffler has been a member of the Jerry Falwell Library faculty for three years, with the primary responsibility of leading the optimization of the library’s extensive access to electronic resources.

A program of the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

Joined on the trip by Jackie Sharp, a senior mechanical engineer for the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Leffler spent 40 days, from Oct. 17 to Dec. 2, working to modernize the institute’s library while Sharp focused on its curriculum.

“I was conducting surveys, providing that data to the administrators of the Institute, and then doing a lot of work to provide them with data on how to create a website that would work for them. It culminated in a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) for the library itself, and my hope now is that somebody else comes and continues that work.”

Throughout the trip, Leffler valued his interactions with his Uzbek co-workers.

“I think it helped me connect with people who have a very different view on life, generally speaking, but at the same time, there’s so much connection that was there,” he said. “That love for the library, that love for learning, was sort of the glue that connected us, despite the fact that we had very different approaches to just about everything.”

Leffler said he hadn’t considered applying for Fulbright until 2023, when representatives for Fulbright visited Liberty’s campus. He found himself drawn to the Fulbright Project in Uzbekistan after learning about a need for someone with his expertise.

“I felt that what they were looking for matched with the skills that I could provide them,” he said.

Leffler also said the opportunity would not have been possible without the encouragement of his peers and leaders at the Jerry Falwell Library.

“Everyone was very supportive really from the beginning to end. Everybody in the library, from administration to my colleagues to my direct reports, helped in some sort of way. I consider it to be an achievement for the Jerry Falwell Library, and I’m very grateful for everyone who’s been so supportive.”