Info Career Trends November 1, 2001 vol. 2, no. 6 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue: 1) Editor's Note 2) Are You the Weakest Link? Networking and Mentoring In a Professional's Career 3) Mentoring The Leaders Of Tomorrow: Reforma's Response 4) Why Host a Field Placement Library Student? Why Not! 5) Networking With Instruction Librarians For Free! 6) Finding a Mentor: One Librarian's Experiences 7) College Library Directors' Mentor Program Enters Tenth Year 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions -------- Editor's Note It's impossible to develop your career as an information professional in isolation. This issue's contributors demonstrate the professional importance of finding mentors and networking with peers, whether on a formal or an informal basis. Learn from their experiences and ideas as they show you how to -- and why to! -- nurture these integral relationships with other librarians. And, if you feel it's now your turn to mentor others by contributing some of the wisdom you've acquired on your own path, consider writing for Info Career Trends! Contributors are still welcome for January's issue on current awareness -- see upcoming themes and guidelines at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm . - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) -------- Are You the Weakest Link? Networking and Mentoring In a Professional's Career by Spring Lea Boehler (slb@springlea.com) When you were in kindergarten, did you ever take a field trip to a museum? Remember forming a long line and walking single file, holding hands with both the person in front and the one behind? Think about that unique motion -- being pulled along at the same time you were pulling someone else along, all of you moving smoothly in the same direction. This is how the dynamics of networking and mentoring act optimally in a professional's career. Over the course of my own career, I have come to appreciate the links I have in both directions, with other library professionals and with up-and-coming professionals. Sowing the Seeds of Networking My insights on networking started three years ago, when I first had a glimmer of what making contacts could do for me. I had just started my library science degree program and was attending my first ever Colorado Library Association conference. Although I was at the time happily employed in a local library system, I thought that in the future I might want to find a job in another city, and that the people at the conference might well wind up being my bosses or co- workers. I always trust my intuition, and this time it truly paid off. My inner voice told me that it was never too soon to start making connections, so I did the simplest thing: I talked to them. I asked questions in presentations, had conversations over the dinner table or during the line dancing lessons, and spent time at my school's booth in the exhibit hall. As it later turned out, one of the people I so bravely approached at that conference is the director of the library system where I just landed the position of my dreams! As my school career progressed, I continued to broaden and deepen my contacts by asking professionals who I knew possessed expertise in various areas to help me with my class projects. I used e-mail lists to conduct surveys and spent time on the phone asking for advice and guidance. I also began to use these same contacts as resources of information and experience for the work I was doing in my library. It didn't take long for me to realize I didn't want to re-invent the wheel every time a new hurdle arose, when almost certainly someone else had already figured out a way around the problem. I had firmly grasped the hand of the person in front of me and was starting to be pulled along with the group. Sharing the Fruit Just before graduation, I also started to realize the value of that backwards reach -- to help the person walking behind me in line. I had begun to feel as if my ideas might be useful to others, that they might have a positive effect on the library community. So, I started to present workshops, write papers, and answer requests on e-mail discussion lists, rather than just asking for help. I also started getting phone calls and individual e-mails asking me for help in the areas where I had demonstrated knowledge, and I made sure to answer them as professionally and promptly as I could. Finally, I started to talk to some promising paraprofessionals about how they should apply to library science degree programs themselves. Most recently, I have taken on a more official role as mentor for some students in my alma mater. I dialogue with them via e-mail and phone or sometimes meet with them in person about the challenges they are facing -- challenges that I am glad are in my past! I also read and critique papers, which actually benefits me as well as the students because it helps me keep abreast of current library theory and issues. This approach to networking and mentoring might sound self-centered, implying that the only goal is to get where you want to go and make sure your life is pleasant in the future. There's a lot more to it than that, however. Using other people as resources can save you and your employer many hours and headaches when trying to solve problems. Also, drawing from the idea pool of your peers has the power to boost your own creativity and make your services more valuable to your patrons. Additionally, if you have truly developed a set of professional skills, then you have something worth sharing with others. You will enrich their capability to participate in their own library careers and you will serve as an example of good service to those who will come after you. As a result of all this collaboration and idea- sharing, the library community only stands to benefit and improve as a whole. Like your school group in a museum, we can all get to where we're supposed to go. Spring Lea Boehler is a graduate of the Emporia State University School of Library and Information Management. She is currently employed at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock, CO as a Youth Librarian. She also is the editor of YAttitudes, the official newsletter of the Young Adult Library Services Association. More information about her can be found at her web site at http://www.springlea.com . -------- *** ADVERTISEMENT *** Pattern Research provides training, consulting and facilitating for libraries, library boards and library organizations of all types and sizes, as well as school, academic, medical and nonprofit workplaces. Our specialties are leadership, management and personnel issues. Visit our web site at http://www.pattern.com for details. So far, we have worked in 27 states and with most major national library organizations. Current references available. Since 1975. Pat Wagner, Pattern Research, PO Box 9100, Denver CO 80209-0100; 303- 778-0880; pat@pattern.com. -------- Mentoring The Leaders Of Tomorrow: Reforma's Response by Maria Champlin (maria@fcglv.com) Mentoring is of particular importance today for ethnic minorities. Federal regulations have tried to increase minority numbers in the workplace, but have failed to ensure environments that promote minority productivity and retention. David A. Thomas, who has studied the progression of racial minorities at three large U.S. corporations, has shown that those who advance the furthest share one characteristic: a strong network of mentors and corporate sponsors who nurture their professional development. Mentoring, Librarianship and Ethnic Minorities The 1997 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Statistical Report states that, although this country's population is becoming more diverse each year, graduates from ALA- accredited programs continue to be predominantly white (90%), followed by African-Americans (3.8%), Asian or Pacific Islanders (3.0%), Hispanics (2.5%) and American Indians (.41%). ALA initiatives to help bridge this gap include the $1.5 million Spectrum initiative, which provides $5,000 scholarships for graduate LIS study, and a recently-appointed (as of 1998) diversity officer. At the 2000 ALA Midwinter, REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to the Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) established the REFORMA/ALA Spectrum Latino Mentoring Program. REFORMA realized the opportunity to fill the vacuum by creating a mentoring program to nurture professional development and to prepare the potential library leaders of tomorrow. What Is the REFORMA Mentoring Program? The REFORMA board approved a program at ALA Midwinter 2000 to assist Latino Spectrum Scholars in their graduate programs and with job searches. Four mentors and four Spectrum Scholar protégés applied to take part in the first year of the REFORMA/ALA Spectrum Latino Mentoring Program. The Mentoring Committee paired mentors and protégés based on the interests and professional goals listed on their application forms, as well as their geographical location. Participants responded to a midterm evaluation in June, 2001. The protégés' evaluations demonstrated that mentoring has had a significant influence on them, while the mentors' evaluations showed some uncertainty as to whether their mentoring had a beneficial impact on their protégés. During the initial six months of the program, mentors and protégés kept in touch primarily via e-mail. All participants responded that the time commitment was working well for them and that contact by e-mail is both convenient and timely. Some mentors and protégés had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time during this year's ALA conference in San Francisco. A breakfast meeting was also arranged by the Mentoring Committee Chair for mentors and protégés as an opportunity to meet, not only each other but other participants. The program is now in its second year and has been expanded to reach out to all Latino MLS Students, including, but not limited to, Latino Spectrum Scholars and REFORMA Scholarship Recipients, and to librarians working with Latino communities. Goals of the REFORMA Mentoring Program Program goals were revised to address the new targeted groups. The goals of the REFORMA Mentoring Program are: 1. To provide mentoring relationships for ALA Latino Spectrum Scholars, REFORMA MLS Scholarship recipients and librarians working with Latino communities with seasoned REFORMA librarians. 2. To develop and maintain a pool of Latino librarians, and to help non-Latino librarians become confident in providing library services to the Latino population. 3. To assist student protégés to become successful in their MLS graduate programs, to be marketable and self-confident in the library work environment, to become more knowledgeable about the library field and library opportunities, and to assist them in their job searches. 4. To assist librarian protégés in their quest to serve our Latino communities in developing services and programs that fit the needs of their communities. 5.To share this Mentoring Program design with other ALA Ethnic Caucuses, encouraging them to develop similar programs. The Program’s Success Stories During the midterm evaluation of the program, protégés were asked to relate some examples of the benefits they had experienced up to that point. Comments included: * "My mentor has been a great inspiration in sharing his experiences and advice. Even though we come from different backgrounds (me being academic and him being public), I find his insight very helpful. Sometimes sharing one's experiences can create a sense of empowerment and assurance that obstacles can be [overcome]." * "In a paper I wrote about library education, my mentor was able to put me in contact with the person in charge of their library education program. Without my mentor’s help, I would not have known who to get in touch with." * "My mentor made me see how a good practicum would serve the purpose of helping me hone in on a specific area of interest in academic library work." When asked about aspects of the Mentoring Program they liked, mentors and protégés answered as follows: * "{The Program has} Given me the chance to meet, discuss, and become friends with a professional librarian. She has exchange[d] information with me that would otherwise be unavailable to me." * "I have tremendous respect for the commitment of the mentors to ensure a smooth transition for Latinos to library work." * "I really like knowing another Latina in my field. At the Library Program I am attending, there are no Latino instructors, librarians, or other students. My mentor's work, especially in Panama, has sparked my interest in doing a study of Cuban libraries." Library Leaders of Tomorrow Initiatives such as the ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program and the REFORMA Mentoring Program are just the beginning steps in addressing a very complex structure. Our associations, organizations and corporations are not accustomed to reflecting the faces of our diverse population in meaningful leadership positions. The ALA Diversity Action Report states that, to effectively serve an ever- growing diverse population, our workforce needs to be reflective of the people it serves and of the larger global community. REFORMA has positioned and committed itself to developing library leaders for the new millennium. Through its mentoring program it will attract and train a pool of Latino professionals that are aware, well prepared and able to address the information needs of a diverse society. Attracting a significant pool of people of color to the library profession, as well as training and retaining them, is essential if we are seriously committed to diversity in our organizations. Mentoring can be influential in achieving these goals. However, this is not a one-way-street. Protégés need to fully commit themselves and be willing, to paraphrase Mahatma Ghandi, to "Become the change they wish to see in the world." Protégés of today can become the leaders and mentors of tomorrow and set in motion the changes necessary to create workforces that are truly diverse at all levels. Maria A. Vieira Champlin is the Chair of the REFORMA Mentoring Program. Mrs. Champlin is the Vice-President of Quadrant Planning, a consulting firm located in Las Vegas, specializing in Planning, Geographic Information Systems, and Market and Site Analysis. For additional information on the REFORMA Mentoring Program, please visit http://www.reforma.org . -------- *** Find a library job! http://www.lisjobs.com -------- Why Host a Field Placement Library Student? Why Not! by Elisabeth Filar Williams (Elisabeth.Filar@Colorado.edu) As a library graduate student, I discovered the benefits of interning in a library setting. My "mentor" from my field placement at the National Geographic Society's map library generously took time to teach me the ropes before I entered my professional career. As a professional academic map librarian, now it is my turn to return the favor; I have recently accepted a library field placement student. Many of my colleagues ask, "Why?" -- why take time out of a busy, tenure-track schedule to host a field placement student? Here are four of the many benefits I have found to supervising and hosting an intern: mentoring, learning, research, and cheap labor. Mentoring I was largely drawn to the idea of hosting an intern because of the opportunity to be a mentor. Now that I am working in the field, I realize how beneficial my mentor was to me. I would like to return the favor by mentoring a library student. There are many choices for a library science career, and, by hosting a field placement student in my academic map library, I am able to show one possible career opportunity to a new recruit. More importantly for the student, I am able to "show them the ropes" of the job. Students can gain practical experience after studying their more theoretical library science curriculum. As a library supervisor, I can provide invaluable practical experience to a student, so he or she will be adequately prepared to take on a library career. Adequate preparation improves the retention of quality library graduates in a professional setting. I also feel I am contributing to the professional development of future colleagues. Learning Learning is also a benefit of hosting a field placement student. These students are currently in school, reading the latest research theories and methods, working on intriguing and stimulating projects in classes, studying under well-known information science professors, and immersed in a learning environment. It may have been years since some of us were in this type of a learning environment. Hearing about the latest news, research, and technology from a current student may help a library supervisor get back into the cutting edge of the library field. It's easy for working librarians to fall into a routine or habit: "We do this because we always did it this way." Interns may provide a fresh perspective and insight on new and better ways to accomplish the same tasks. While I showed my intern around the library and explained our processes, she questioned many routine work and organizational structures we had in place. Many of these legitimate questions made me stop and think, "Why?" As I heard as a student: "You show you understand when you can teach another." The mentored becomes the mentor. Research Research is another benefit of hosting a library field placement student. Most students have to complete a major project while interning in a library. (My student had to work on a research project at least 25% of her time.) This project could focus on a topic the librarian had wanted to research but didn't have the time to do. A student with quality skills and drive may take this on, both for the required field placement project and to benefit the library. In my map library, for example, we have needed to investigate off- site map storage, especially the off-site storage aspects of cataloging, preservation, and acquisitions. My intern has chosen this topic for her project. Not only is the library benefiting, but also I have one less research project and have a qualified student to complete this task. Her research findings may also lead me to pursue this issue of off-site map storage further and could benefit my own research or provide background for an article on the subject. Cheap Labor Librarians most commonly host students as "cheap labor." Although this was not something that initially occurred to me, I can now see these benefits. Library school interns can offer free, quality labor. They are generally enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and dedicated workers who want to learn. Map libraries are always short-staffed, and even the most tedious task can be a beneficial learning experience for an intern. Interns can help you with many aspects of your job, giving you time to pursue other tasks while they learn from the experience. Recruiting New Professionals Reference service in a map library is more like teaching than general reference service. You must work with patrons and teach them, so they fully understand how to get the cartographic material they really want. Naturally, we have become teachers in the field of map librarianship. Our role, therefore, should be to carry on by teaching future map librarians -- and teaching them to do the same. Most library schools do not offer classes in map librarianship, or may only include a section on the subject in a broader course. Some may only offer a course every few years -- most likely before and after you graduate! Hence, recruiting and training map librarians may be the important role a professional map librarian must play. I encourage all information professionals to seek the challenge and enjoy the benefits of hosting a field placement student. The satisfaction of mentoring and recruiting a new librarian to the field far outweighs any cons. Not only are you mentoring a possible future colleague, but you will also learn from these new recruits. Elisabeth Filar Williams has an undergraduate degree in Geography /GIS from Johns Hopkins University and an MLS from the University of Maryland. She has been the Map/GIS Librarian at the University of Colorado, Boulder for over two years and recently hosted a field placement student for 6 weeks. Both of them had a wonderful experience! Please check out her Map Library web site: http://www-libraries.colorado.edu/ps/map/frontpage.htm -------- *** Post your resume online! http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm -------- Networking With Instruction Librarians For Free! by Ellen Keith (keith@iit.edu) and Lenora Berendt (lberend@wpo.it.luc.edu) In the spring of 1992, Deborah Tenofsky (then Coordinator of Library Instruction at Loyola University Chicago) saw the need for instruction librarians from the Chicagoland area to meet to discuss ideas and issues related to providing library instruction, and to share information, teaching tips, and common concerns. She contacted coordinators and instruction librarians from a number of local universities and colleges, and held the first meeting later that year. Lenora Berendt, Instruction Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago, took over as chair of the group in 1996 after Debbie's departure. In 2001, Lenora turned over leadership of the group to Ellen Keith, Interim Associate Dean for Public Services/Instruction Coordinator at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Evolution Of the Group The Chicago Area Instruction Librarians Group has evolved into a dynamic and high-quality source of continuing education for the area's library instructors. Membership has expanded to include public and community college librarians who are involved in providing instruction to users, and the group currently meets four to five times annually at different area libraries. Each meeting begins with light refreshments, followed by a brief business meeting in which future meeting dates and instruction topics are identified and scheduled. Members volunteer to provide 20-30 minute presentations on each topic, making sure that sessions are as interactive as possible. After the business meeting, members give presentations on topics selected at the last meeting. Meetings tend to run a little long, as much discussion is always generated from the presentations. Holding the meetings at different libraries gives everyone an opportunity to check out each other's teaching facilities and either commiserate over the lack of technology or go green with envy over its abundance. Library administrators are generally happy to host and provide refreshments, as it's both good public relations and good networking. The group maintains a Web presence at http://columbus.gl.iit.edu/chibi and an e-mail discussion list. Both serve as communication vehicles for providing general information and discussion within the group, as well as details about (free!) membership, previous meeting topics, future meetings, and instruction and related links for teaching librarians. Ellen's Experience From a personal standpoint, I am grateful to the group for introducing me to such a rich resource of librarians. The scope of the group provides almost instant connections, as we all have the same concerns and share similar interests. I first met Lenora Berendt during her tenure as chair at a group meeting at DePaul University in 1997. When she asked for a library to host the next meeting, I volunteered my library (I was at Columbia College at the time). Lenora and I became friends over the course of making the arrangements, and it was at a future meeting that we realized we wanted to present on the same topic, "Managing an Instruction Program." As we were both instruction coordinators of active programs, we decided to collaborate and present together. Our presentation was enthusiastically received, and generated so much discussion that we realized we wanted to expand it and explore it further. LOEX's (Library Orientation & Exchange) program this year, Managing Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries, afforded us the perfect opportunity. Our proposal, "All Our Ducks in a Row: Essential Components and Challenges of Managing an Instruction Program," was accepted, and again, it gave us great pleasure to collaborate on a topic we so enjoyed. It's remarkable to look back and realize it all came out of a local group. When Lenora decided she had too much on her plate to continue chairing the group, she asked me if I would like to be the next chair. It was an easy decision to make. As chair, I've had the opportunity to administer the e-mail discussion list and update the web page, two great skills to develop, as well as the perfect reason to attend every meeting -- where I am consistently impressed by my colleagues' presentations. Lenora's Experience Deborah Tenofsky's vision for the group was to provide a forum for teaching librarians to learn together and share information. She set a strong example of that philosophy by mentoring me at Loyola, where I assisted her with library instruction for three years. She provided me with new opportunities to participate and "shine," and was always available to discuss new ideas or problems I encountered along the way. I became Instruction Coordinator at Loyola after her departure and am most grateful to her for her continued support and friendship. The role of chair was, and continues to be, an informal one. We are fluid and all members are expected to participate in some way, so that the leadership for the group is a shared experience -- a key ingredient to our continued success and longevity. The chair serves as a moderator and contact person for the group, while the responsibility for each meeting rests with the host librarian. Our meetings are structured but informal and we don't take minutes. I believe it is this format that has allowed the group to develop, flourish and maintain a level of quality that continues to the present time. There is no place for politics here! The Chicago Area Instruction Librarians Group has provided me with opportunities to improve my skills as an instructor and to make new acquaintances and friends. I've experimented with new teaching techniques that I've learned about through my experiences with the group. Opportunities to test new ideas and receive constructive feedback from my fellow instruction librarians have been numerous and helpful, but most importantly, our group has provided me with the opportunity to become part of a network of working librarians whom I can always call on for information and support. I thank Deborah and my colleagues for these many opportunities and happy experiences. Lenora Berendt (lberend@luc.edu) is Instruction Coordinator at the Loyola University Libraries. Ellen Keith (keith@iit.edu) is Interim Associate Dean for Public Services/Instruction Coordinator at the Paul V. Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The group's web site and instructions for subscribing to the mailing list are at http://columbus.gl.iit.edu/chibi . -------- *** YOUR AD HERE *** Reach an audience of over 1450 career-minded information professionals. Rate card and information for the newsletter and site available at http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm -------- Finding a Mentor: One Librarian's Experiences By Anne Pemberton (anne_pemberton@ncsu.edu) Many librarians find their first mentor while attending library school or while working in a library prior to library school, and my experience was similar. Several connections can serve as a mentor- mentee relationship, such as student-student, faculty-student, and employer-employee. I was an advisee, and later a Peer Advisor, in the "Peer Advisor Program" at the library school I attended. As advisors, we wrote to incoming students before they began classes, and established a relationship with them early in their first semester of school. This gave new students a chance to ask questions of a fellow student and learn about their new environment. I found it to be a wonderful program that provided a forum for students to learn about one another and become more comfortable in the library school environment. Faculty Mentors Establishing a good relationship with a faculty member is another way to foster a relationship with a mentor. My situation was somewhat unique, in that I happened to be a faculty member's daughter. My father never pushed me to go into librarianship, although I do think he was excited when I first started working at the University library as an undergraduate and taking Information Sciences classes at "his" school. He has been instrumental in developing my professional mindset. A week does not go by that I do not consult with him about my job and career and issues in our profession. One of the most important things I talked to him about was the kind of a position I would try to obtain upon graduation. He recommended that I look into a Post-MLS residency program. Residencies and Mentors Finding a mentor through residency programs can be an absolutely wonderful experience. When I graduated from library school, I wanted to continue my education while also gaining professional experience. While I had been working for a few years in academic libraries as a student and graduate assistant, I was apprehensive about jumping right into a permanent position. Based on both my father's advice and personal experience, I felt that a residency program would be a perfect fit. I found a number of programs that seemed like wonderful opportunities. One of these was the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries Fellows Program. As a two-year post-MLS program, NCSU's was longer than the more typical one-year residency programs. It also offered a challenging and dynamic atmosphere. So I applied, interviewed, and was offered a position before I graduated from library school. For the last sixteen months I have been a NCSU Libraries Fellow. It has given me the opportunity to work in more than one department and gain experience and skills that I might not have gotten in a traditional entry-level position. When I arrived at NCSU, I was entering an environment with over 100 librarians and hundreds of other staff. I was very nervous and intimidated by the size of the staff and their credentials. Finding someone to "show me the ropes" was an major goal when I started work. Luckily, I was immediately introduced to a librarian who had not only attended the same university as I, but was also from the same hometown. We had many things in common and I felt immediately comfortable with her. I found out later that our department head had purposefully introduced us, and had suggested the possibility of developing a mentor-mentee relationship. My mentor eventually became my supervisor, and has been a wonderful boss as well as mentor. We frequently go to lunch and talk about what I'm doing and the things I'd like to be doing. She listens to me and really works on finding opportunities for me to develop as a librarian. She is always someone who is there to listen and help point me in the right direction. Even if our department head had not introduced us, I believe that she and I would have naturally gravitated toward one another because of our backgrounds. The Fellows program has also provided a more structured opportunity for finding a mentor. One of the great benefits of being a Fellow at NCSU is that we have a committee in place to provide guidance and advice. This committee has brought in professionals to talk about travel and development, listened to our ideas, and answered our questions about various topics. They are also in regular contact with us, sending e-mail updates of new conferences or workshops that we should try and attend. The committee plays a role in the Fellows' interview process so that each new Fellow will have a face to remember. This has helped the Fellows to feel more comfortable when beginning their appointment. The committee members seem genuinely interested in helping us get all that we can out of our time as Fellows and to excel beyond. This committee has been a wonderful resource for those of us that are new to the Library as well as to the profession. I have had the opportunity to experience many different types of mentor relationships. Each has served as a stepping-stone and led to greater achievement within the profession. I have found being a Fellow to be a wonderful opportunity for new professionals to immerse themselves in the profession without feeling overwhelmed. At NCSU, people realize that I'm fairly new to the profession and might need or want more guidance than other new staff. They seem to be genuinely interested in talking to me about my interests and skills. This has been a rewarding experience and I hope that other recent graduates might look to a Post-MLS residency program to get started in their profession and/or find a mentor. To learn more about the NCSU Fellows Program: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu To learn more about other Post-MLS Residency Programs in academic libraries, see the ARL Research Library Residency & Internship Programs database: http://www.arl.org/careers/residencies.html Anne Pemberton is a graduate of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee. She currently works in the Office of Personnel Services and the Research and Information Services Department at North Carolina State University. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/apemberton -------- *** Find out more about The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development Online, by Sarah Nesbeitt and Rachel Singer Gordon. Due out this December! http://www.lisjobs.com/careerdev/index.htm -------- College Library Directors' Mentor Program Enters Tenth Year by Larry Hardesty (lhardesty@austinc.edu) Who would have thought almost fifteen years ago that an informal dinner conversation among a few college library directors would lead to a mentoring program in which more than 200 college library directors have participated? After all these years, it is easy to forget about the initial efforts. (The full history of the program has been documented elsewhere. (1)) Nevertheless, after its first decade of existence, the College Library Directors' Mentor Program has evolved into a highly successful mentoring and networking program. Development of the Program The program began because leaders of the College Libraries Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) saw the need to enhance the leadership capabilities of new college library directors. They understood from their own experiences that new directors often feel isolated and in a position for which their previous experiences had not prepared them. While financially administered by Austin College, the program continues to operate under the aegis of the Leadership Committee of the College Libraries Section of ACRL. Program Elements There are two major elements to the College Library Directors’ Mentor Program. The first element is a match between the first-year college library director and an experienced college library director. This is to provide the first-year director with an experienced "listener" who wants to "help," but not to "tell," the new director how to manage a college library. Each director is to visit the other director’s library at least once during the year. Typically, experienced directors not only listen, but also share forms, offer to meet with the first-year director's staff and administration -- and even occasionally host the first-year director in an evening meal at the mentor's home. A recent participant notes: "From the very first meeting with my mentor, I realized that he was genuinely interested in my concerns and questions about leading a small college library. He helped me to prioritize the most important issues that I faced and gave me tips and ideas about how to turn challenges into successes." The second element of the program is a three-day seminar held prior to the Midwinter ALA Conference. Three experienced college library directors conduct the seminar for the first-year directors: Mignon Adams, Director of Library Services at the University of the Sciences at Philadelphia, Larry Hardesty, College Librarian of Austin College, and Evan Farber, College Librarian Emeritus of Earlham College. While particular topics vary with the interests of the participants, all relate to how to deal successfully with the challenges at a small college. A recent participant provides a typical comment on the seminar: "Having the opportunity to meet other new directors was invaluable. Being able to freely discuss issues, concerns and challenges was incredibly empowering." Program Benefits The program facilitates networking in several ways. Each year, the first-year directors have a cohort of peers who bond through the seminar experience. Their mentors frequently introduce the first- year directors to other college library directors, and the program has an Internet discussion group open only to program participants (mentors and first-year directors). First-year directors can pose questions on this discussion group with confidence that they will receive thoughtful responses from other college library directors who understand their situation. During the first nine years of the program, forty-four men and eighty-six women have participated as first-year directors. Their average age of participants is in the early 40s, but ranges from directors in their early 20s (and only a few months out of library school) to first-time college library directors in their late 50s (after years of varied experiences, often outside of academic librarianship). One can be neither too young or too experienced to participate and benefit from the program. A list of all the first- year participants is available at the College Library Directors' Mentor Program's webpage ( http://abell.austinc.edu/CLS/colment.html#Dean ) so individuals interested in participating can contact earlier participants to discuss the benefits of the program. Mentors are experienced college library directors who are willing to serve as good listeners and helpers. Many of the early mentees are now serving as mentors. During the first nine years of the program, thirty-nine men and thirty-nine women have served as mentors. They also typically report how they benefit from the program. Program Participation The main criterion for program participation is that the individual must be in his or her very first year as a college library director. The program is designed for library directors at small colleges, usually institutions of fewer than 2,500 students. Also, the participant must have a master's degree in library science from an ALA-accredited library school. The maximum number of participants allowed in the program per year is fifteen. When this number is not reached there is some flexibility in allowing participation by interim directors and/or individuals actively working on the master's degree in library science. The program is self-supporting, and at present $650 is required as an front cost to cover the travel between the first-year director's and mentor's institutions and some of the seminar cost. Travel to the seminar and housing and evening meals at the seminar are the responsibilities of the participant. Every effort is made to keep the total costs as modest as possible. Chief academic officers have been most supportive of the program, mainly, I believe, because there is an affinity between their position and the library director's position. Both serve a variety of clientele. Both usually have little formal training for many of their responsibilities. In addition, both can be in somewhat isolated positions with few or no peers on campus with whom to consult or confide. When first-year library directors are hesitant about seeking funding, I remind them that not only does the chief academic officer understand their situation but he or she also wants them to be successful since the success or failure of the library director can be a reflection on them -- and a significant investment of institutional time and money. One chief academic officer observed to me: "The College Library Directors' Mentor Program was of great benefit not only to our library director but to our entire campus. I would strongly recommend to any institution that new library directors be encouraged to participate in this program." Further information is available at the web site ( http://abell.austinc.edu/CLS/colment.html#Dean ), or contact the program director: Dr. Larry Hardesty College Librarian Abell Library, Suite 6L Austin College 900 North Grand Avenue Sherman, Texas 75090 Phone: 903-813-2490 Fax: 903-813-2297 e-mail: lhardesty@austinc.edu 1. Larry Hardesty, "College Library Directors Mentor Program: 'Passing It On:' A Personal Reflection." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 23 (July 1997): 281-290. -------- What's Online? Recommended Resources: "Networking on the Network" http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/network.html From UCLA Department of Information Studies professor Phil Agre. Although this document on professional online interaction is specifically aimed at Ph.D. students, it contains an abundance of useful and practical information for librarians who now need to network on the Internet to keep themselves professionally connected. "Mentoring & Libraries: A Bibliography" http://library.ucr.edu/COLT/bibmentoring.html A nice librarianship-specific bibliography from COLT (Council on Library/Media Technicians), compiled by Rita Gibson. "Mentoring: A Selective Bibliography" http://www.arlisna.org/divmentor.htm In case you didn't get enough leads above, another bibliography, from Tom Riedel. "It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know: Work In the Information Age" http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_5/nardi/ A First Monday article by Bonnie A. Nardi, Steve Whittaker, and Heinrich Schwarz. Reports on research on personal social networks in the workplace and on their importance in "getting ahead" in the new economy. -------- *** Check out more book recommendations in the Lisjobs.com online bookstore. http://www.lisjobs.com/books.htm -------- But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources: Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. Indianapolis, New Riders Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7897-2310-7. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789723107/librarisjobsearc/ Krug packs quite a bit of information into this slim volume, reinforcing some common sense ideas about web usability while standing others on their head. Although his focus here is largely on commercial sites, librarians creating web pages for their institutions or for personal professional development purposes will nevertheless find the content useful. Usability principles and ideas for testing the usability of sites are presented in a clear, user- friendly manner; this is less a title on how to design than one on how to use your existing web design knowledge to create a usable and useful site. "Before and after" screen shots of several sites reinforce the information in the text. Recommended for anyone interested in web development as more than a hobby. -------- Info Career Trends is copyright Lisjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. Permission is granted to forward this newsletter in its entirety as long as the contents remain unchanged and this copyright message is included. For permission to reprint articles in this newsletter, contact the individual authors. If no author is listed, contact editor@lisjobs.com. 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