The Academic Librarianship Committee (ALC) is interested in making a contribution to proactively fostering a learning and supportive environment for both librarians and staff at the UCI Libraries. We are especially cognizant of two opportunities for mentoring that are not currently formally being met, that of 1) new and/or junior librarians in the UCI Libraries, and 2) undergraduate UCI students interested in pursuing a career in librarianship.

Junior librarians especially, but also those less junior librarians who are new to the UC system, would benefit from mentoring with a UCI librarian who is not their review initiator. Mentors would be available to discuss a variety of issues and topics that do not concern the librarian's primary position responsibilities, such as getting involved in professional organizations, launching a research or writing project, doing a poster session or talk at a professional conference, or figuring out how best to participate in library-wide or system-wide opportunities available to UCI librarians.

There are currently several Library Assistants and undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in librarianship. These individuals would benefit greatly from a mentoring relationship with one or several library professionals in the UCI Libraries. Mentors could help these individuals to gain information and/or experience through activities such as discussing basics of a professional graduate program; strategizing about various graduate program options; arranging interviews, shadowing, interning, or employment with various colleagues or in various areas of the UCI Libraries to assist the mentee in gaining perspective on the variety of things that academic librarians do; or reading over graduate program application materials and serving as a reference for the applicant.

We propose to implement a pilot LAUC-I Mentorship Program to be launched during Winter quarter 2002. We feel strongly that a formal mentoring program would benefit individual mentees and mentors, as well as LAUC-I, the UCI Libraries, and the UCI campus.

Goal: To proactively foster a supportive environment for new UCI librarians and those at UCI interested in pursuing a career in librarianship by:

  • Providing training for all interested UCI librarians in the basics of mentoring that can be used in a variety of situations.;
  • Matching up to eight pairs of mentees/mentors for a pilot project.

Process:
1. January 2002: Discussion of proposal and approval of LAUC-I EB to proceed.
2. February 2002: ALC presents Mentorship Program idea to LAUC-I general membership.
3. February-March 2002: Invite an expert with extensive mentoring experience, an understanding of academic librarianship, and an appreciation of the effectiveness of a mentorship program to kick off the project with a half-day training session for interested UCI librarians. We propose to contact Janice Koyama of UCLA Libraries (who has significant experience with mentorship programs) to see if she is willing to serve as trainer for this session, or has any recommendations for trainers. LAUC-I funding would be required to cover lunch and travel for trainer and snacks for training attendees (approx. $300.00).
4. March-April 2002: Identify up to eight interested mentors (volunteers from LAUC-I membership) and mentees (new UCI librarians starting work in early 2002, current Library Assistants or UCI undergraduates interested in pursuing a graduate degree in librarianship or a related field during the next 1-2 years).
5. April 2002: Launch pilot LAUC-I Mentorship Program.
6. May-June 2002: Provide LAUC-I funding (up to $15.00/person reimbursement for 16 lunches = $240.00) to encourage mentee/mentor pairs to meet once for lunch.
7. November-December 2002: Provide LAUC-I funding ($240.00, see above)to encourage mentee/mentor pairs to meet again for lunch.
8. January 2003: LAUC-I ALC brown bag on Mentorship Program. Collective summaries of experiences, thoughts, suggestions by group of mentors and group of mentees, discussion, suggestions on how to proceed. LAUC-I funding for refreshments ($100.00).

Budget implications for LAUC-I:

FY 2001/2002--
$300.00 Half-day training session on mentoring
$240.00 Mentee/mentor lunches
$540.00 TOTAL

FY 2002/2003--
$240.00 Mentee/mentor lunches
$100.00 Refreshments for brown bag
$340.00 TOTAL