ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


February 1986 /  117

tion as colleges or universities th a t h ad  libraries 
w ere included.

T he Survey of College and University L ibraries 
achieved a response rate of 91 %. T he d a ta  for a 
non-responding institution w ere im puted by using

d a ta  of a peer institution of sim ilar characteristics, 
based on control and level, enrollm ent size, NCES 
classification, level of offering, and state of th e geo­
graphic location. ■ ■

M en torin g in  th e  a c a d e m ic  lib r a r y

D e a n n a  L. R o b erts

Social Sciences Bibliographer 
University o f Georgia

Professional development through observation and 
consultation.

M e n t o r i n g  to accelerate an individual’s profes- 

sional developm ent is not a novel concept in either 
business or academ ia. This m aster-apprentice or 
teach er-stu d en t relationship occurs inform ally in 
m a n y  o rg an izatio n s, an d  fo rm alized  m e n to rin g  
program s have been successful both in th e federal 
governm ent as well as th e p riv ate sector. L inda 
Phillips-Jones, in her article on establishing m en ­
to rin g  program s, states th a t “ ...a m o n g  th e most 
successful in the federal governm ent include those 
in th e In tern al Revenue Service, th e F ederal Exec­
utive D evelopm ent P rogram , and th e Presidential 
M anagem ent In tern  P rogram . In th e p riv ate sec­
to r, program s have been established in such corpo­
rations as Jewel C om panies, A m erican Telephone 
an d  T e le g ra p h ’s Bell L a b o ra to rie s, an d  M errill 
L y n c h .” 1 In academ ic libraries, the Council on L i­
b ra ry  Resources In ternship Program  was im ple­
m ented in 1974 to provide a first-hand leadership 
perspective to experienced professionals in order to 
enhance th eir know ledge an d  und erstan d in g  of the

}L inda Phillips-Jones, “Establishing a F o rm a l­
ized M entoring P ro g ra m ,” Training and D evelop­
m e n t Journal 37 (F ebraury 1983):38.

complexities of research libraries. It is tim e to take 
 new  look at th e idea of m entoring program s in the 
cadem ic lib rary  as a m eans of staff developm ent 
or the junior professional or recent lib rary  school 
raduate.
W hile the definitions of a m entor are m any and 

a rie d —coach, m odel, guide, teacher, sponsor, or 
dvisor—th e purpose is th e same. This relationship 
llows new  people to observe d ep artm en ta l activi­
ies, divisional functions an d  goals, in addition to 
h e policies an d  procedures of th e organization, 
hrough consultation w ith  th e experienced profes­
ional. E lizabeth Bolton, a specialist in public af­
airs education, advises th a t “th e most im p o rtan t 
lem ent in this type of relationship is th e w illing­
ess to share accum ulated know ledge w ith  another 
n d iv id u a l in th e  novice stag e of d e v e lo p m e n t 

h eth er on th e sam e occupational level or from a 
igher p osition.”2

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2E lizabeth B. Bolton, “A C onceptual Analysis of 
e M entor R elationship in th e C areer D evelop­
ent of W o m e n ,” A d u lt E ducation 30 (Summer 

980):205.

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118 /  C&RL News

Benefits to the protege
At the University of Georgia Libraries an experi

m ental m entoring program  was tested during 
three m onth period in 1985. In my present positio
as a social sciences bibliographer, I participated i
a m entoring-protege relationship w ith the assistan
director of branch libraries. D uring this program  

Mentoring can be a faster 
means of learning than 
direct experience.

attended weekly staff meetings w ith library facult
responsible for collection development and publi
service in the sciences, maps, reference, and med
cal resources.

The benefits derived from this opportunity t
learn by association were many. Sharing in grou
m eetings and o th er in d iv id u al conferences b e
tween the assistant director and her staff provide
me w ith a clearer understanding of the function
and activities of this division in relation to the com
plete library system as well as the academic com
m unity. I also had the opportunity to discuss m
concerns relating to personnel supervision, colle
tion developm ent activities, and organizationa
goals. Kathy Kram, author and researcher in th
field of organizational behavior and adult relation
ships in organizations, has suggested th a t “whe
o n e a tte m p ts  to d ev elo p  te c h n ic a l, social
m anagerial skills in a professional role, the oppor
tunity to w atch and consult w ith someone who 
successful is invaluable.”3 This type of modelin
early in a career may be an im portant contributio
to the form ation of a professional identity. It ma
also provide a faster means of learning th an  direc
experience can. The new librarian is allowed to ad
dress concerns about skills, perform ance, or com
petence and derives reassurance in knowing th a
one may express uncertainty about issues w ith 
more experienced professional w ithout risking di
closure to the total organization. In my own situa
tion, the fact th a t I had the opportunity to discus
m atters of im portance to me w ith someone I re
spected and trusted had a positive effect on the wa
I perceived my career potential, and my relation
ship to the organization.

Michael Zey, in his book The M entor Connec
tion, proposes “the fact th at someone in the organi
zation cares about the protege’s success and organi
zational perform ance gives the protege a feeling o

Kathy E. Kram, M entoring at Work: D evelop
m e n ta l R ela tio n sh ip s in O rg a n iza tio n a l L if

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(Glenview, 111.: Scott, Foresman, 1985), p.113.

self-worth th a t transcends title and salary and fig­
ures heavily in the am ount of satisfaction one gets 
from perform ing his jo b .”4 By witnessing discus­
sion and being included in decision-making, a new 
professional may become more confident in the or­
ganization and those people in authority. This p ro ­
cess may produce more active library faculty m em ­
bers during a period of initiation and exploration in 
an organization.

Benefits to the mentor
The protege is not the only one who gains from 

his type of work relationship. By sharing knowl­
dge and skills the advisor may gain personal satis­
action and respect from colleagues. The experi­
nced lib rarian  m ay have questions concerning 
ompetence or relationships w ith either peers or 
ew professionals. The teaching process may re­
uire the m entor to review and reappraise day-to- 
ay actions and assumptions. The experienced p er­
on may be challenged to think more clearly and 
reatively. The program  may also provide other­
ise nonexistent opportunities for interaction be­

w een  lib ra ria n s at sim ilar or d ifferen t career 
tages. Developm ent of staff through teaching, ob­
ervation, and discussion can provide the experi­
nced librarian w ith an opportunity to give exper­
ise back to the organization.

The supervisor who is in a position to develop 
alent is rem inded to acknowledge the developing 
kills of a new professional. This advisor is able to 
ake assessments w ithout the problem of partiality 

r prejudice th a t a direct supervisor faces. An addi­
ional benefit of this relationship is th a t it allows 
he m entor to evaluate ideas w ith another profes­
ional before acting on a decision.

By form alizing the relationship, the organiza­
ion acknowledges the skills and experience of the 
dvisor. This is the type of reinforcem ent the more 
xperienced professional may be seeking.

Benefits to the organization
Academic librarians have realized all too well 

h a t there are some things th a t cannot be learned 
rom text books or formal class lectures. In her ad ­
ress to an ARL meeting, Patricia Battin adm itted 
h a t “educational programs for academic librari- 
nship have continued to stress an individualistic 
ia s — th e  c o n c e p t of th e  a u to n o m o u s 
rofessional—and have actively prom oted and en­
ouraged the development of narrow  specialists, 
ither in academic subject disciplines or w ithin the 
ibrary profession.”3

4Michael Zey, The M entor Connection (Home- 
ood, 111.: Dow Jones-Irwin, 1984), p.72.
5Patricia Battin, “The Real W orld: Large L i­

rary O rganizations,” M inutes o f the 101st M eet­
ng, A rlin g to n , V irginia, O ctober 13-14, 1982 
W ashington, D .C .: Association of Research L i­
raries, 1982), p.134.

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February 1986 /  119

M entoring can help build the needed networks 
betw een these “autonom ous” professionals. The 
benefits are w orth consideration. Professional de­
velopm ent is a prim ary concern of library adm inis­
tration. Not all academ ic libraries have the n u m ­
b e r of p erso n n el or th e  fin a n c ia l resources to 
provide lengthy internships or job sharing, b u t 
m any of these same libraries have talented estab­
lished professionals who could provide the begin­
nin g  lib ra ria n  w ith  a m ore co m p lete w orking 
knowledge of the organization and propose how 
they fit into th a t complex structure.

The ability to work and deal w ith a w ide variety 
of people is essential in the research library. An or­
ganizational environm ent th a t promotes com m un­
ication between its staff is, in effect, providing in ­
dividuals w ith an opportunity for integration and 
socialization. The professional who better under­
stands the goals and mission of the library w ith the 
support and interest of experienced colleagues in 
tu rn  may become a m ore com m itted individual. 
E nhancing the skills of new librarians m ay lead to 
their reduced insecurity and increased productiv­
ity. M entoring m ay also provide the organization 
w ith a means of rew arding (e.g., perform ance ap ­
praisal) the m entor for developing and collaborat­
ing w ith junior members of the professional staff.

Important criteria for 
the mentoring program

Considering m entoring relationships as a means 
for professional developm ent requires acknow l­
edgem ent th a t it should be strictly voluntary. Not 
all established librarians feel th a t they are capable 
teachers or advisors, nor are all beginning lib rari­
ans looking for one. These relationships should be

viewed as experim ental, allowing the m ism atched 
or disillusioned participants to shift or w ithdraw  
from the com m itm ent.

Keeping the length of the program  to a reason­
able duration w ith clearly stated expectations from 
the volunteers keeps the program  from becoming a 
burden. In some instances the participants m ay de­
cide to continue their relationship on a less form al 
basis.

In addition, the organization should publicize its 
support of the mechanics and goals of the m en­
toring program  through meetings, discussions, and 
w ritten  com m unication. It is essential th a t supervi­
sors and others who m ay be affected by the rela­
tionship be allowed to express their concerns and 
ideas.

Final aspects of this program  include m onitoring 
a n d  e v a lu a tio n . T h is m a y  be a c c o m p lish e d  
through reports, meetings, or the com pletion of ac­
tual projects.

Conclusion
U nfortunately, some professionals still perceive 

learning as som ething th a t is accomplished in a spe­
cial course or left to the individual to gain through 
trial and error; however, positive working rela­
tionships m ay contribute to both the individual’s 
professional and personal grow th and the organi­
zation’s increased effectiveness. Collaboration and 
sharing of experience and knowledge w ith one’s 
colleagues th ro u g h  ad v iso r-stu d en t or m entor- 
protege relationships is a practical, in-house means 
of providing professional developm ent for the ju n ­
ior professional or recent library school graduate in 
the academ ic library. ■ ■

CLR-funded Professional Development Program
Nine librarians have been selected to participate 

in a new  P ro fessio n al D e v e lo p m e n t P ro g ra m  
funded by the Council on L ibrary Resources and 
involving the libraries of the University of Chicago, 
the University of Illinois at Chicago, and N orth­
w estern University. The Fellows selected for the 
1985-86 program  are Jane Ciacci, Yvonne Glanze, 
and Cam ille Riley from the University of Chicago; 
Stephen Rloom, G unnar Knutson, and T erri Licari 
from the University of Illinois at Chicago; Mary 
M argaret Case, Lloyd Davidson, and Jean Dickson 
from N orthw estern University.

These nine Fellows are the first group to be se­
lected for the p ro g ram , w hich the Council has 
funded for its first three years. Each academ ic year 
the group of Fellows participates in a series of semi­
nars dealing w ith issues and problems facing re­
search libraries. More experienced staff from the li­
braries of the cooperating universities and faculty 
from the G rad u ate L ibrary School of the Univer­

sity of Chicago plan and lead the seminars.
This year’s series of seminars focuses on the basic 

functions of the library. Joint planning groups con­
sisting of staff from the three libraries have orga­
nized and presented seminars on collection devel­
o p m e n t a n d  m a n a g e m e n t a n d  on sp e c ia l 
collections. They are currently planning seminars 
on physical access to collections and on processing 
collections. Spring program s include a sem inar to 
be presented by the three directors of the p artici­
pating libraries. By the end of the year the program  
will have involved a num ber of staff members w ith 
varying levels of experience from the same library.

Similar groups of six to nine librarians w ith five 
or fewer years of experience will be selected as Fel­
lows at the three libraries in upcom ing years. For 
more inform ation on the program , contact Melissa 
T re w e tt, Program  D irector, University of Chicago 
G rad u ate L ibrary School, 1100 East 57th Street, 
Chicago, IL 60637; (312) 962-8699. ■ ■