North Carolina Library Association - New Members Round Table's wiki

 

 

FALL 2009 NETWORKING DINNERS:

 

Charlotte Networking Dinner - Monday, October 26th, 7:30-9:30pm @ Brixx Pizza Southpark (7814 Fairview Road)

                                                  For questions or to RSVP, e-mail mwood@plcmc.org or call 704-416-5431

 

Greenville Networking Dinner - Tuesday, November 10th, 6:30-8:30pm @ CPW's (2422 Stantonsburg Road)

                                                   RSVP to gustavsona@ecu.edu by Friday, November 6th

 

 

Please contact us if you would like to organize a networking dinner in your area.

 

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Mentoring program

• Library professionals who wish to become mentors can volunteer by completing this form.

• New librarians who wish to participate in the mentoring program can apply by completing this form.

• Are you a Mentoring Program participant? Want to share your thoughts on the program?  Fill out our Mentoring Program Evaluation.

 

Overall aim of the program: To provide New Members Round Table members and "new" North Carolina librarians with the opportunity to connect with an experienced North Carolina librarian for professional guidance. The mentor-mentee alliance is, ideally, initiated through a formally arranged day long meeting; however, the program will remain flexible so that the participants can pursue arrangements that best work for their needs, to include virtual mentoring relationships or short conversations on a single point of interest.

 

Recruitment of mentors and mentees: NMRT will begin by organizing several networking dinners in different regions of North Carolina, for paraprofessionals, MLS students, new members and other professionals. From this event we hope to recruit interested mentors and mentees. We will also use our own personal networks to recruit more people.

 

Also, NMRT is considering posting online the names and contact information for library professionals who don't mind being contacted directly by new librarians for informal counseling. Consent of these library professionals will be obtained before their information is made available on this wiki.

 

Profile of mentors:

Library professionals who offer significant experience (5+ years) or an exceptional knowledge base in related areas (e.g. research and writing for publication; Web design; project management) to the field of library and information science. Most importantly, they are enthusiastic about the profession and eager to give back to it by offering their time and counsel as mentors.

 

Responsiblity of mentors:

 

• Role model: willingness to share their career paths and experiences with their mentee; willingness to counsel the mentee on their own professional development
• Educator: share knowledge base with mentees
• Leader: encourage communication and interaction with their mentees. 
   

[Adapted from the ACRL IS Section's Mentor Roles & Responsibilities.]

 

Resources available for mentors: see the ACRL IS Mentoring Program's Resource List

 

Benefits and Outcomes of Mentoring

For the Mentor:

Opportunity to reflect on own skills and work practices

Exposed to and encouraged by fresh ideas and enthusiasm

Increases self worth with contributions to the profession and organization

 

 

For the Mentees:

Expands knowledge base of the profession and organization

Receives support and encouragement

Increases self confidence and career opportunities

-practice interviews

-job search ideas

-networking to learn about jobs of interest or fields of librarianship not yet explored

 

Procedure for assigning mentors to mentees:

 

The upcoming network dinners may facilitate a few mentoring relationships naturally. Concurrently, we will also put a call for mentors or mentees on various listservs. Mentors should be willing to create formal one-on-one mentoring experiences while also being willing to informally field queries from their mentees, such as "who gets a thank you letter after an interview," etc.

 

Advertising of program to mentees: As mentioned above, we hope that the networking dinners will kick off this new program. The dinners were held in early fall 2008 in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Greensboro. They were advertised on library listservs, through the library schools in the state, and by other regional networks. 

 

We will also advertise the program when we staff a table at conferences or talk to student groups at the library schools. The Membership Committee is partnering with us to advertise the program.

 

• Library professionals who wish to become mentors can volunteer by completing this form.

• New librarians who wish to participate in the mentoring program can apply by completing this form.

 

 

Program contacts: Emily King, emhking  at  gmail.com