Abstract
The Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame have implemented a mentorship program that provides a structure for recently hired librarians to learn about the organization, to provide advice that considers the institutional context, and to elucidate the roles and responsibilities of library faculty. In the fall of 2012, the Hesburgh Libraries hired a Metadata and Digital Collections Librarian. The Organizational Development Librarian paired him with a senior manager overseeing IT in the libraries. Throughout this chapter the authors will discuss how their work together has matured their perspectives, how their professional relationship has evolved over time and helped them both to practice new skills and learn new approaches together, how the meetings provide a safe space to talk through challenges openly, and offer some tips on how to start a mentoring relationship on one's own.
TopBackground
Before exploring the authors’ specific use case, it is helpful to contextualize what is meant by mentorship, wellbeing, and how the professional literatures consider the intersection of the two. According to Anderson and Shannon, mentoring is:
A nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model, teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter’s professional and/or personal development. Mentoring functions are carried out within the context of an ongoing, caring relationship between the mentor and protege. (Anderson & Shannon, 1988, p. 40)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mentee: A person, often with less experience, who seeks advice related to a specific area.
Organizational Culture: The behaviors and attitudes that members of an institution embody, often revealed through exploring how things really work in an organization separate from formal policies.
Servant Leadership: A leadership style that focuses on the needs and development of the individual contributors reporting to that leader instead of emphasizing the leader's goals.
Mentoring Relationship: The affiliation between the mentee and the mentor, comprising communication, rapport, shared interests, and differing experiences.
Academic Research Libraries (ARL): A group of mostly large college and university libraries, although it also includes a couple of public libraries and government agencies, that advocates on behalf of research libraries.
Well-Being: The state of one’s psychological or physical condition, often characterized by a goal of good health and happiness.
Coaching: A less formal process for giving suggestions for the purposes of developing successful behaviors and approaches.
Mentor: A person with more real-world experience in an area that can offer perspective, stories, and advice.