AJL Mentor Mingle
Chicago 2009
"Empowering Librarians
for the 21st Century!"

Presented by
Stephanie
(Sara Leah) Gross
MSLIS, MATESOL
Librarian, Yeshiva
University

3 types of mentors
• Convention (Sun.--Wed.)
• Yearlong professional
partnership
• Subject specialists (i.e. website,
bibliographies, HaSafran)

Convention mentors
• Meet with new member or first-
timer
• Decide on goals
• Review convention program and
make suggestions
• Spend some meals together to
compare notes
• Make introductions/network

Yearlong mentors:
• Meet with mentee to decide on
major areas of need
• Suggest ways in which mentee
can grow professionally, e.g.
associations, workshops,
webinars
• Make certain that mentee knows
of major resources

NEW!--Chapter, regional liaisons
• Begin to discuss this here in
Chicago
• Blog or poll local constituents for
their interest and input
• Promote the importance of
mentorship, coaching, &
advisement however possible
throughout the year

Subject specialists
• Currently: Use Website,
Hasafran archives, listserv,
bibliographies, users groups
• Desired: "Maven" mentors
• NOTE: Important to check what
has already been answered in
FAQs & listserv. AJL Homepage
to be vastly improved

Modes of communication:
• Email: ajlmentoring@gmail.com
• Telephone: 212.960.5442
• Skype: Stephanie.L. Gross
• IM: GTalk, Yahoo!,SMS
• Magic Jack PC calls (all local)
• DimDim.com conference calls

Ironing out Glitches
• Contact Chair at the first sign of
major problem
• Suggested turn-around time: 10
business days
• Inform mentee of "black-out"
times, e.g. vacation, holidays,
busy season

Difficult situations
• Some positions may demand all
3 types of mentors
• Understand that this is pro bono
professional help.
• Endeavor to prioritize problems
• Mentees must do Due Diligence
• Commitment to CE & Prof.Dev.

Topics for the 21st librarian
• UX/UE User Experience
• Embedded librarianship
• Library2.0 (LibraryThing,FB apps)
• Library literacy & critical
thinking
• Chat reference
• Disruptive technology

Lessons learned this year
• Healthy competition, but not
exclusion
• Importance of freeware &
Web2.0 to facilitate
communication, outreach
• Collaboration with others to
multiply dividends

Related committees, SIGs
• Accreditation
• Professional development
• Continuing education (AJL,
SLA, online SILS schools)
• Student librarians & newly
employed --SIGs 4 P2P?
• Chapter Relations

Even better...
• Study-buddies (learning new
technology)
• Peer-to-peer for recent SILS
grads

Where applicable:
• Help place library students in internships
• Provide advisement and coaching for
SILS major, thesis, etc.
• Librarians in-between jobs------
o Wherever
o However........(networking)

Web2.0 Aids for Mentors
• Resource page on AJL
• Twitter? Facebook? Blogs?
• ALA Connect
[http://connect.ala.org]
• LinkedIn--Discussions
• Bookmarklets: Delicious

Remember: Promote successes
• Flickr--(hashtags)
• YouTube (CommonCraft
tutorials)
• Blogs (AJL, Blogspot.com)
• Podcasts--- Possibilities, but
NOT necessities

Further Reading
• Farmer, D., M. Stockham, & A.
trussell (January 2009)
Revitalizing a mentoring
program for academic
librarians. College & Research
Libraries (70)1: 8-24.
• SmartComputing. Reasonably-
priced monthly. Includes
technical support w/account