Working With Your Mentor/Mentee

Working with Your Mentor/Mentee | Sample Activities | Resources and Readings | Application

Mentoring is an excellent opportunity to be engaged and connected to the academic library profession. It also helps in building leadership skills that benefit the organization.  Mentors can share ideas and experiences from their own job to help their mentees avoid pitfalls and mistakes.

Goals

The work between matches can be greatly enhanced by setting specific goals.   Matches should set some goals at the first meeting of their mentorship program.     While each match will have their own needs and requirements, the following are some ideas of establishing some goals:

Some examples of goals

  • Learn more about the common challenges we all face in academic libraries
  • Make new contacts and networks within the profession.
  • Learn more about emerging themes in academic librarianship.
  • Discuss the qualities that make an effective manager/director.
  • Look for opportunities to attend more conferences and training that are relevant to career development.

Communicating with a Match

Matches will choose how and when they can communicate. The UBC Library Mentorship Program can be done in-person, over the phone, by email, by video conferencing, virtual chat, or a combination of all of these.  While there is no requirement for in-person contact, funds are given to help subsidize professional and cultural activities that matches would like to take advantage of.