Comments on Mentoring from ACL 2008

I was asked to share my response to a talk by Dr. Em Claire Knowles on a panel at the Association of Christian Librarians Conference in Quincy, MA last week. It was a wonderful experience, and I felt honored to be asked to be a part of it.

Dr. Knowles talked about how students in Library School communicate differently than previous generations and how things are changing in library education. She (obviously) felt that mentoring was an important part of the education process and beyond.

As a panelist, I was asked to read Dr. Knowles comments in advance and prepare to give a three minute response to her comments. I thought she had some good ideas and insights.

Here is my three-minute response to Dr. Knowles:

As I look to finish my coursework for my Masters in Library Science in December, many of Dr. Knowles’ comments felt true for me. I may be slightly older than the demographic she spoke about, but I, too, want my work to have value and purpose. I need to work in an environment where my ideas are valued. It is my goal to find a professional librarian position in an academic library. As a result of my experience working at a Christian university, the Christian University environment appeals to me. I see it as a place where I can build positive relationships.

My decision to become a librarian was not made lightly. One of the major influences on my decision was the positive work environment I have experienced at Point Loma. All the librarians there have been an immense encouragement and support to me through my program. Because my degree was earned online and my program is so large, I have turned to my coworkers many times for advice about which classes to take and what skills I need to develop so that I can do the best job that I can as a librarian. I would call these librarians my unofficial mentors and I am so thankful that they have been willing to help steer me in the right direction.

When I think about a formal mentoring relationship, I would expect that a mentor (for me) would be someone that I could go to for advice about how I can be more successful at my job. It would be someone I respected and wanted to learn from. I should be able to go to this person with questions without feeling stupid or dumb for asking. Ideally, it should be someone outside of where I work, so that if sensitive issues arise, I would be able to talk with someone about the situation (without being gossipy) to help me figure out the best course for action (or inaction as the case may be). It also helps to have someone to talk over ideas for solving problems as well as implementing really cool new ideas. The wisdom of experience can offer a pragmatic reality check. Definitely handy for countering potential problems.

It seems like mentoring relationships sort of grow organically out of pre-existing relationships. Mentor relationships cannot be forced. Both parties should equally desire the relationship. The relationship should be one that both supports and challenges a person.

In thinking about my experiences, I’ve realized that I have several people that I go to for advice and I’m lucky that I have many people like this in my life. All my relationships are more informal, but I know that no matter where I work, I would be able to go to these people for advice and wisdom on a variety of topics.

Paneling

I was honored to be asked to be on a panel about mentoring at a small library conference I’m attending this summer. One of the keynote speakers will be presenting a paper about mentoring, and after the paper, I will have four minutes to speak about my experiences. I am new to the library profession so I’m probably going to be speaking more about being mentored since I have not really mentored anyone.

Without having really looked at any of the research, I would say that a mentor is someone who offers their experience and advice to those who are still learning. Mentors/those being mentored can be any age, but usually the mentors have more experience.

When I think about a formal mentoring relationship, I would expect that a mentor (for me) would be someone that I could go to for advice about how I can be more successful at my job. It would be someone I respected and wanted to learn from. I should be able to go to this person with questions without feeling stupid or dumb for asking. Ideally, it should be someone outside of where I work, so that if sensitive issues arise, I would be able to talk with someone about the situation (without being gossipy) to help me figure out the best course for action (or inaction as the case may be).

In thinking about my experiences, I’ve realized that I have several people that I go to for advice and I’m lucky that I have many people like this in my life. All my relationships are more informal, but I know that no matter where I work, I would be able to go to these people for advise and wisdom on a variety of topics. It also helps to have someone to talk over ideas for solving problems as well as implementing really cool new ideas. The wisdom of experience can offer a pragmatic reality check. Definitely handy for countering potential problems.

I’m curious… how many people would say that they have a mentor or that they have mentored someone? Was it a positive experience?

I would hazard to guess that the experience is almost always positive, but I’m guessing also that some people have had some bad experiences as well.