The University of Delaware Library Assembly of Professional Staff

Mentoring Program Guidelines and Procedures

Orientation Mentoring Relationship | Promotional Mentoring Relationship | Professional Mentoring Relationship | Mentoring Program Coordinator Responsibilities

Revision 2009

Background Information

The development of this program was recommended by the Steering Committee of the University of Delaware Library Assembly of Professional Staff (UDLAPS) in March of 1993, based on interest from the general membership of UDLAPS. The purpose of the program is to help provide professionals with peer counselors and role models to supplement the relationships within reporting lines. Furthermore, the purpose of the mentoring program is to enhance the professional atmosphere within the library, and to encourage all professionals to create and participate in career enrichment activities. The program is designed to provide mentoring opportunities to meet the diverse needs of the various professionals working in different areas of the University of Delaware Library.

These guidelines are meant to encourage participation in the program, providing activities to assist participants in meeting their goals. Participation in all types of relationships in the program is voluntary and may be ended by either party for any reason. Though professionals are encouraged to become involved as mentees and mentors, they are not required to use the program. It is hoped, however, that the benefits of mentoring will provide motivation to prospective participants, and that past successes of the program will stimulate continued involvement. Mentors serve in an advisory capacity only and the establishment of a mentoring relationship should not be seen as a guarantee of advancement or career success for either mentee or mentor.

Types of Mentoring

This program consists of three types of mentoring relationships, each addressing the needs of professionals at particular stages of their careers. There may be some overlap in the activities between each of the mentoring relationship types as best fits each individual situation. It is recognized that each mentoring relationship will be unique. In any type of mentoring relationship, the purpose of the program is to enhance the relationship between the individual and the Library, so that both may benefit. Mentors should encourage continued good working relationships between the mentee and the mentee's supervisor while pursuing their own relationship with the mentee.

Mentors and mentees should decide at the beginning if they wish to apprise their supervisors and colleagues of their relationship. They should inform the Mentoring Program Coordinator of their decision. Personal information shared by participants should be considered confidential, even if the relationship itself is not confidential.

Orientation- for new professionals or for professionals new to the Library. It includes general peer training and orientation to the Library, the University, and the local area. A checklist of recommended activities may be used for guidance. This type of relationship usually represents a short-term formal relationship with a recommended content, time limit, and specific goals.

Promotion- for established librarian professionals with an interest in career advancement and promotion. This type of relationship allows for a focused range of activities and specific requirements for the participants while still allowing a large degree of freedom as to the activities and goals chosen.

Professional- for professionals wishing to explore professional development activities, seek job enrichment, achieve the high skills needed for specialty or administrative positions, or to change their career emphasis. This type can represent a special, highly personal and unstructured relationship that requires strong commitment, or it can be a somewhat formal relationship of more limited duration with activities chosen by the participants in consultation with the Mentoring Program Coordinator.

Orientation Relationship

Goals

Acquaint newcomers with University of Delaware Library staff structure, future planning visions, mission, etc.
Act as a sounding board for questions related to the organizational structure of the Library and the University.
Facilitate interaction with colleagues beyond supervisor and immediate department; encourage cross-departmental and cross-divisional communication.
Introduce new professionals to career-related activities.
Discuss professional committees, organizations, and scholarly activities, as well as introduce the professional to local and regional groups such as the Delaware Library Association.
Welcome new professionals to the geographic area.

Criteria for Mentors

Interested professionals may volunteer to serve as mentors; it is recommended that the volunteers have two or more years of experience at the Library.
Volunteers should be knowledgeable of the Library and University, flexible, considerate, cognizant of the needs of new professionals, and committed to meeting the steps and calendar of the checklist.
Mentors may be within the same reporting line, but outside the supervisory relationship.

Mentors

Communicate with the mentee about calendar and checklist.
Follow checklist to provide orientation and answer additional questions from the mentee.
Recommend arrangement of at least monthly contacts with mentee for a six-month period.
Solicit feedback from the mentee and report progress to the Mentoring Coordinator.

Mentees

Determine meeting schedule and orientation needs.
Be open to the program, ask questions, and keep appointments with mentor.
Participate in appropriate checklist activities.
Provide feedback to the mentor and submit completed evaluation form to the Mentoring Coordinator.

Possible Activities

See checklist for suggested activities.

Promotional Relationship

This relationship is geared specifically toward the librarian promotional process.

Goals

Provide assistance in dossier preparation and use of the promotion process to early-to-mid-career librarians.
Assist librarians in building a record of professional activity by acting as a source for networking and answering questions about aspects of the professional career that fall outside job duties.

Criteria for Mentors

Mentors must have been promoted and/or have served on the promotion committee.
Mentors should be at the same level of responsibility or above that of the mentee, but should not be in the same direct reporting line.

Mentors

Formulate, with input from the mentee, a program and schedule tailored to the needs of the mentee. Activities may include any or all of the following:

assist individual mentees in identifying professional development activities such as conferences, committees, publishing opportunities;
introduce mentees to appropriate colleagues, committee chairs, etc., outside of the Library. Inform mentee of appropriate volunteer opportunities;
provide assistance in preparation and critique of mentee's dossier, and answer questions about promotion process;
assist mentee in locating resources for service or research activities related to promotion;
encourage mentees to attend appropriate UDLAPS programs, including the Dossier Preparation Workshop and other professional development programs; and
solicit feedback from the mentee and report progress to the Mentoring Coordinator.

Mentees

Mentors will not be held responsible for the outcome of any personnel actions involving advancement, promotion, or continuing appointment of their mentees.
Establish contact with the chosen mentor; formulate a program and schedule tailored to the mentee's needs. Modify the program if and when needs change.
Be prepared to ask specific questions about professional activity, career, and promotion criteria.
Use mentor to help focus career activities in appropriate ways. Pursue committee opportunities and networking activities suggested by the mentor and participate in any other activities that would be appropriate.
Provide feedback to the mentor and submit completed evaluation form to the Mentoring Coordinator.

Activities chosen by participants may include the following:

dossier preparation assistance;
introduction to Library and professional committees;
introduction to leaders in regional and local organizations;
assistance with figuring out "the system" in the Library: who knows what, who has expertise, etc.;
assistance with research, writing, and publishing; and
assistance in selection of courses, degree-work, etc.
dossier preparation workshop; and
publishing and writing workshops.

Professional Relationship

Characterized as the least structured mentoring relationship with a duration determined by mentor and mentee.

Goals

Help professionals enrich their careers and find opportunities to focus within their chosen specialty, or to break out into new areas.
Help mid- and upper-level professionals to change direction; diversify their skills and duties; or develop management, specialty, or administrative skills.
Provide a means for upper-level management to pass on the benefits of their experience to newly-emerging managers.

Criteria for Mentors

Mentors can be drawn from any level.
Mentors should be skilled in their job responsibilities, and/or active professionally, and/or be considered an expert in their field.
Mentors can be either in the same reporting line or in a different division, but should not be the direct supervisor of the mentee.

Mentors

Formulate goals with the mentee; help the mentee develop his/her career in desired ways.
Mentors may plan formal activities, depending on the goals of the mentee.

Mentees

Establish contact with the chosen mentor and formulate goals.
Participate in activities appropriate to the growth of both mentee and mentor.
Provide feedback to the mentor and the Mentoring Coordinator.

Activities are only limited by that which is appropriate in a work or professional relationship. They may include:

regular meetings;
assistance in furthering involvement in professional organizations, particularly at the national level;
assistance with publication; and
referral to prospective mentors outside the Library or University, who may have more appropriate expertise.

Mentoring Program Coordinator

The Mentoring Program Coordinator is responsible for the successful administration of the mentoring program and for maintaining required records and archives. The Coordinator is an elected officer of UDLAPS nominated by the UDLAPS Nominations and Elections Committee and elected by the full membership every other year in regular UDLAPS elections. The responsibility of the Mentoring Program Coordinator, according to the UDLAPS Constitution, is to "coordinate the activities of the Mentoring Program in accordance with the UDLAPS Mentoring Program Guidelines and Procedures." The Coordinator plays a large part in helping to establish mentoring relationships and in evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Specific duties of the Coordinator related to administering the mentoring program are:

publicize and promote the program and recruit participants;
achieve representation of mentor volunteers from a variety of Library departments and divisions by encouraging interested professionals to participate as mentors as appropriate;
maintain list of mentors;
attend professional candidates' interviews/breaks in order to explain the UDLAPS Mentoring Program;
attend the Dossier Preparation Workshop to describe the benefits of a mentoring relationship;
write e-mails of introduction to new professionals advising that contact will be made shortly after their arrival;
match mentees with mentors;
present program goals and guidelines to mentors for added assistance;
in cooperation with the Assistant Director for Library Administrative Services, plans and revises the checklist for all new professional orientations;
resolve problems for/between mentors and mentees;
assist participants in formulating goals and developing activities;
solicit informal feedback from participants on progress and effectiveness of each relationship and/or the program as a whole;
and review and evaluate the program and identify problems.

Specific duties of the Coordinator related to the UDLAPS organization are:

coordinate with UDLAPS Steering Committee and appropriate groups to plan programs related to promotion and to encourage attendance by mentors/mentees;
attend the UDLAPS Steering Committee meetings and UDLAPS Business meetings regularly as an elected member;
report the general successes and needs of the program to the UDLAPS Steering Committee regularly and, periodically, to the entire UDLAPS membership;
maintain archives of program documentation;
maintain informal list of mentoring relationships established (all personal notes or e-mail about relationships are considered confidential and must be shredded/deleted after the Coordinator’s term ends);
maintain and report basic statistics of number and type of mentor/mentee matches, their duration, and indication of general success of the program;
recommend necessary changes to the Mentoring Program and Guidelines to the UDLAPS Steering Committee;
and provide an overall report to the new Mentoring Program Coordinator and/or UDLAPS Steering Committee at the end of the Mentoring Coordinator's term to maintain continuity and an archive.

If the Mentoring Coordinator feels that revisions/changes need to be made in the Mentoring Program Guidelines and Procedures:

a revision committee is appointed by the Mentoring Coordinator and is comprised of the Mentoring Coordinator, at least one member of a previous revision committee, and other interested UDLAPS members;
a draft of the revisions should be sent to the UDLAPS Steering Committee;
the final proposed revision and the current version of the document should be presented to membership of UDLAPS for their consideration;
and the UDLAPS Membership will vote on proposed changes by secret ballot.