ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 8 26 / C&RL N e w s ■ N o v e m b e r 1 999 Job Shadow Day 2000 A commitment to the future by M argot Sutton O n W e d n e s d a y , F e b ru a ry 2, 2000, o n e m illio n s tu d e n ts a c ro ss A m erica w ill d is­ c o v e r h o w a c a d e m ic skills a c q u ir e d in c la s s ro o m c a n b e p u t in to a c tio n in th e w o r k ­ p la c e . T h e s e ju n io r h ig h - a n d h ig h s c h o o l- a g e s tu d e n ts w ill p a rtic ip a te in th e th ir d a n ­ n u a l N a tio n a l G r o u n d h o g J o b S h a d o w D ay (JSD), a n e v e n t th a t p a r tn e r s s tu d e n ts w ith w o r k p la c e m e n to rs fo r a n u p -c lo s e l o o k c a ­ re e rs. ACRL is jo in in g fo rc e s w ith ALA d iv is io n s a n d a s s o c ia tio n s a c ro s s A m e ric a in s u p p o r t o f J o b S h a d o w D ay, a n d e n c o u ra g e s a c a d e m ic a n d r e s e a rc h lib ra ria n s to b e ­ c o m e i n v o l v e d . ACRL n e e d s v o l u n t e e r s f r o m a c a d e m ic a n d r e s e a r c h li­ b ra rie s t o s e rv e a s w o r k ­ p la c e c o o r d in a to rs a n d w o r k p la c e m e n to rs . B y p a rtic ip a tin g in JSD , y o u r in s titu tio n ’s te a m c a n in tr o d u c e y o u n g p e o p le to t h e p r o ­ fe s s io n o f lib ra ria n s h ip a n d h e lp th e m u n ­ d e r s t a n d w h a t a c a d e m ic a n d r e s e a rc h lib ra r­ ia n s d o . Y o u c a n h e lp y o u n g p e o p l e m a k e th e c o n n e c ti o n b e t w e e n a c a d e m ic s a n d c a re e rs , w h ic h w ill m a k e th e ir c la s s ro o m w o r k s e e m m o r e re le v a n t. A d d itio n a lly , y o u c a n e n c o u r ­ a g e p a r tn e r s h i p s b e t w e e n y o u r in s titu tio n a n d lo c a l y o u n g p e o p l e a n d b u i ld a n o n g o ­ in g r e la ti o n s h ip w ith t h e c o m m u n i ty y o u s e rv e . t E v e ry o n e b e n e fits J o b s h a d o w in g is a w in -w in situ a tio n fo r all h ei n v o lv e d . F o r y o u n g p e o p l e , jo b s h a d o w in g p r o ­ v id e s a firs th a n d v ie w o f lib ra ria n s h ip a n d o t h e r p ro fe s s io n s ; d e m o n s tr a te s t h e im p o r­ ta n c e o f a c a d e m ic s in r e a c h in g c o lle g e a n d c a r e e r g o a ls ; a n d d e v e l o p s m o tiv a tio n b y d e m o n s tr a tin g th e ta n g ib le a p p lic a tio n s o f c la s s ro o m le s so n s. F o r t h e l i b r a r y p r o f e s s i o n , jo b s h a d o w ­ in g h e lp s p r e p a r e t h e fu tu re w o rk fo rc e ; h ig h ­ lights c a r e e r p o ss ib ilitie s in t h e lib ra ry p ro fe s s io n ; a n d p ro v id e s a n o p p o r tu n ity to d e e p e n u n d e r s ta n d in g a n d a p p r e c ia tio n fo r t h e w o r k lib ra ria n s d o . F o r l i b r a r y m e n t o r s , jo b s h a d o w in g c re a te s a fe e lin g o f p e rs o n a l satisfaction th at c o m e s from m e n to rin g a y o u n g p e rso n ; offers a c h a n c e to s h a re k n o w le d g e a n d skills; a n d c o u ld l e a d to a lo n g - te r m m e n to rin g re la tio n sh ip . G e t tin g in v o lv e d P a rtic ip a tin g in JSD is a n e a s y a n d r e w a r d in g e x p e r ie n c e . G e ttin g in v o lv e d w ill o n ly ta k e a f e w h o u r s o f y o u r tim e . H e r e ’s w h a t y o u h a v e to d o . • I f y o u a r e a n e m p l o y e r / d i r e c t o r : e n ­ c o u r a g e e m p l o y e e s t o b e c o m e m e n t o r s ; d e s ig n a te a n e m p lo y e e to c o o r d in a te y o u r A bout th e author M a rg o t Sutton is ACRL professional d evelopm ent assistant, e-mail: msutton@ ala.org C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s news mailto:msutton@ala.org C&RL N e w s ■ N o v e m b e r 1999 / 8 27 lib ra ry ’s p a rticip a tio n ; p ro v id e s u p p o r t to th e effort; a n d w rite p re ss a n n o u n c e m e n ts to y o u r in stitu tio n a n d local p re s s a b o u t y o u r p artici­ p a tio n in JSD. • I f y o u a r e a l i b r a r y c o o r d i n a t o r ( a n i n d iv i d u a l w h o o v e r s e e s t h e l o g is ti c s o f y o u r i n s t i t u t i o n ’s i n v o l v e m e n t in JS D ): a c t a s t h e lin k b e t w e e n a ll p r o g r a m p a r tn e r s ; w o r k w i t h s c h o o l s t o i d e n t i f y i n t e r e s t e d y o u n g p e o p l e ; p r o v i d e y o u r l i b r a r y ’s s t a f f w i t h d e s c r i p t i o n s o f p a r t i c i p a t i n g y o u n g p e o p l e a n d t h e i r in te r e s t ; d e v e l o p a n d d i s ­ t r i b u t e g u i d e l i n e s f o r s t a f f p a r t i c i p a t i o n ; a n d p r e p a r e a b r i e f r e p o r t a n d s u b m i t it to ACRL u p o n t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f JS D . • I f y o u a r e a m e n t o r : re v ie w m a te ria ls a n d m a k e p la n s in p r e p a r a ti o n fo r t h e d a y ; s e t a s id e p a r t o f y o u r d a y to c o n c e n tr a t e o n y o u r “s h a d o w ” a n d r e m a in a v a ila b le t o th a t s tu d e n t d u r in g t h e visit; d e m o n s tr a te a n d e x ­ p la in e ffe c tiv e w o r k m e th o d s ; a n d h e lp y o u r “s h a d o w ” u n d e r s t a n d sk ills a n d a c a d e m ic s n e e d e d fo r y o u r c a r e e r field. I n t e r e s t e d ? L et u s h e a r f r o m y o u . C o m ­ p l e t e t h e f o r m b e l o w a n d s u b m i t it t o ACRL b y J a n u a r y 5, 2 0 0 0 . ■ 828 / C&RL N ew s ■ N o v e m b e r 1999