The Special Library Association Student Chapter offers a Mentorship Program as a member benefit for any student SLASC member that would like guidance from an experienced professional. The idea is to engage our community and learn from one another so that we can accelerate our journeys to becoming excellent librarians, successful educators, and a unified profession.
Mentors, if you’re also interested in participating as a speaker for one of our webinars, please click here for more information.
Mentees, check out the list of mentors here.
On this page you will find
- How to sign up as a mentor
- What to expect as a mentor
- What to expect as a mentee
- Tips on how to make your mentorship effective by finding the right mentor or mentee for you, communicating goals, and setting expectations.
Why Become a Mentor?
Learning the ropes of a new career is no easy task. So many questions arise in the process and it can be difficult to know where to get answers or who to ask for help. If you want to help students interested in special librarianship please sign up as a mentor. To become a mentor simply email our Membership Director, Marisa Lee, with your profile explaining the areas in which you’d like to lend guidance and a picture at sjsu.slasc@gmail.com.
We are extremely grateful to experienced librarians who are willing to lend a hand to those in need of advice. Your commitment to serving in this capacity will help create a stronger and more successful community. Thank you for your commitment to our profession!
What to expect as a Mentor
- Decide your own level of involvement; this is a volunteer position.
- Decide what areas you would like to lend guidance on.
- You can focus on one mentee at a time, or can have loose correspondence with several.
- You can choose to stop or become inactive at any time.
- Your picture and profile will be posted on the SLASC’s Mentor List Page so that mentees can find you and reach out.
Interested in Becoming a Mentee?
If you are a member of the SJSU SLASC and would like guidance in becoming a special librarian, we encourage you to participate as a mentee. Take a look at the list of our available mentors and reach out to one that aligns with your interests and needs.
What to expect as a Mentee
- Get help picking your classes
- Learn how to prepare for interviews
- Grow your professional network
- Gain insight into the industry
Tips for a Successful Mentorship
Mentees!
Before you start a mentorship, reflect on what you want out of your mentor-mentee relationship. Do you want guidance on a specific skill? Help becoming a stronger leader at your library? Help finding a job? Do you want to grow your network? Would you like a mentor you can meet in person or do you prefer communicating virtually? Once you know what you’re looking for, be sure to read all of our mentor bios so that you can pick the best mentor for you.
When you reach out to your new mentor, tell them:
- How long you’d like the mentorship to last
- Your learning goals
- Your availability to meet, talk, email… communicate
- Any reasons why you may need to end the relationship early
Mentors!
Mentees will reach out to you at the phone number or email you provide us. During your first communication with your potential mentee, try to give them a sense of what you want the mentorship to look like. For example, you can tell them, “ I can help you with questions around finding your first job out of school or leading a team of librarians and volunteers in an archiving project. Does this sound like your area of interest?”
If at any time you decide you no longer want to participate in our Mentorship Program, please email and let us know (sjsu.slasc@gmail.com). We will remove you from our list of mentors.