OLA Mentoring Program

Information for Potential Mentors and Mentees

The goal of the OLA Career Mentoring Program is to provide library staff with encouragement, support and guidance, promoting their professional development and growth.

• Starting out in libraries 
• Contemplating a career change
• Transitioning into management
• Retiring
• Needing support in one’s current position

A mentor is a mid-to-late career (with five or more years of professional experience) library worker who listens and provides guidance. Through their experience, the mentor has gained knowledge about professional resources, which they will share with the mentee. The mentor may help the mentee make professional contacts, models successful professional behavior and shares personal experiences relevant to the mentee’s journey.

Benefits of mentoring programs

• Mentees have the opportunity to develop professional skills and a sense of direction.
• Mentors can contribute to the profession by helping to develop future leaders.
• Mentees and mentors learn from each other’s perspectives and experience, develop enhanced listening skills and increase their ability to communicate with respect.

For mentors

To become a mentor, you must:

1. Have worked in a library (or related organization) for five or more years.
2. Commit to at least one year (or nine months for library staff on nine-month contracts) with the program. Mentors and mentees can continue their relationship beyond the required time period if they choose.
3. Complete the mentor application.
4. Have good listening skills.
5. Have a desire to support, encourage and guide the mentee. 
6. Be open to other viewpoints and professional goals.

OLA membership is preferred, but not required for mentors. 

What does being a mentor entail?

1. Initiating contact with your mentee.
2. Keeping in contact with your mentee 5-6 times per year by phone, email, web conferencing, or in-person meetings for the course of the year (or nine months).
3. Providing feedback and suggestions for your mentee’s professional development related to their stated goals.
4. Providing feedback to OLA at the completion of the year via a survey.
5. Adhering to the OLA Mentoring Guidelines.

 For mentees:

To become a mentee, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Be an OLA member.
2. Currently be working in a library in some capacity (volunteer, paraprofessional, professional).
3. Commit to at least one year (or nine months for library staff on nine-month contracts) with the program. Mentors and mentees can continue their relationship beyond the required time period if they choose.
4. Complete the mentee application.
5. Have a strong interest in professional development.
6. Be willing to share goals and challenges.
7. Be open to feedback and advice.

 What does being a mentee entail?

1. Keeping in contact with your mentor 5-6 times per year by phone, email, web conferencing, or in-person meetings for the course of the year (or nine months).
2. Providing the mentor with a copy of your resume and goals for the year.
3. Seeking advice on professional issues.
4. Providing feedback to OLA at the completion of the year via a survey.
5. Adhereing to the OLA Mentoring Guidelines.

Additional information 

What does the time commitment look like for a mentor?

During the one-year (or nine-month) period, you must be in contact with your mentee 5-6 times per year. This may mean sending an email, initiating a phone conversation, meeting via web conferencing software (GoToMeeting is provided through OLA) or meeting face-to-face. Beyond that, the duration and frequency of that contact is up to the individual mentor and mentee. The time commitment is determined by the mentor and mentee together and is based on the goals they mutually set for the year. The mentoring relationship can last longer than one year and contact can be more frequent if both mentor and mentee choose.

Is there a deadline to become a mentor or a mentee?

No. We match people up throughout the year, so you can apply at any time for either role.

How do you match up mentors and mentees?

In the application, the mentor describes their experience and areas in which they feel comfortable mentoring. The mentee application asks the mentee to describe their goals and experience. We then do our best to match up mentors and mentees based on library type, experience and goals. We will look for a mentor whose expertise bets fits the mentee’s goals.

 What if my mentor and I aren’t a good fit?

Occasionally, the mentoring relationship doesn’t work out. This can be a result of bad fit, a mentor or mentee who doesn’t actively participate in the relationship, or communication issues. If this happens, the best way to approach it is to first address the issue with the mentor/mentee. If this does not rectify the problem, contact the OLA Leadership Committee at [email protected] who can try and help fix the problem.

What if I have questions?

The OLA Mentoring Program is managed by the OLA Leadership Committee and the administrators are:

• Amy Honisett, Multnomah County Library 
• Amy Miller, Multnomah County Library 
  
  Please contact the Leadership Committee at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Mentor Program Forms:

To become a mentor, fill out the Mentor Application.

To be a mentee, fill out the Mentee Application.