AALL MENTOR PROJECT

The Mentor Project signup deadline has passed.

TO APPLY:

If you would like to be a Mentor, submit the Mentor Application located on the left menu of this screen. 

If you would like to be a Mentee, submit a Mentee Application located on the left menu of this screen.

The application deadline is Monday May 12, 2008. Applicants will receive notification of their assigned mentor/mentee before June 30, 2008.

PLEASE NOTE: Pink ribbons with "Mentor Project" printed on them will be made available to those people who have been matched up. Please pick up a ribbon at the Annual Meeting registration desks when you register.

PURPOSE:

The Mentor Project has three principal purposes: to provide an informal, personal source of information for newer members; to provide an avenue by which experienced law librarians may meet promising new members of the profession; and to provide a network for members who are contemplating a move to another type of library.

The Mentor Project is open to librarians from all types of libraries. Each participant will be assigned to a member whose profile matches, as closely as possible, his or her request. Applications will be reviewed by the Mentoring Committee and participating Special Interest Sections.

If you previously participated as a mentor or mentee and would like to be matched in a new mentoring relationship, you are welcome to reapply.  Since it is up to the individuals to decide how long to continue their mentoring relationships, participants may choose to reapply for a new match in subsequent years.

Listed below are a few things that you may want to do, if you wish to participate. The list should serve as a guide to the many possibilities. It is by no means exhaustive; in fact, should you try to do everything mentioned, you would certainly be exhausted. With that caveat, may we encourage you to be creative. There are a great many activities which will contribute to an enjoyable experience.

FEEDBACK:

While the Mentoring Committee annually surveys the Mentor Project participants, the Committee welcomes additional feedback at any time.  Please direct any feedback to the Mentoring Committee chair (see the Mentoring Committee Roster to obtain contact information for the current chair).

TIPS FOR LONG DISTANCE MENTORING

1. Contact your mentee by telephone, e-mail, or regular mail.
2. Let your mentee know how he or she can contact you (e.g., telephone, e-mail, regular mail).
3. Make an effort to contact your mentee periodically throughout the year, especially when you come across information that might be of interest to him or her.
4. Encourage your mentee to join any of the Special Interest Sections or local chapters. Help your mentee with networking (for example, try to arrange a "local" contact for your mentee by calling your colleagues in the area where your mentee resides/works).

TIPS FOR LOCAL MENTORING

1. Meet your mentee-have coffee or lunch together, or invite him or her to your workplace for a tour and to get acquainted.
2. Invite your mentee to a local function or an educational or professional meeting.
3. Call a few of your friends and ask if they would be willing to meet with your mentee to share their professional experiences.
4. Invite your mentee to call or e-mail you occasionally if he or she has questions or needs ideas.

TIPS FOR MENTORING AT THE AALL ANNUAL MEETING

Contact your mentee before the conference to establish some common interests. Arrange to meet at the CONELL Marketplace or at some other time early in the conference. Let them know how he or she can contact you (your hotel info and the message board).

1. When you pick up your registration packet at the conference, be sure to ask for a PINK Mentor Project ribbon to attach to your name badge. The ribbons will help each of us identify other members of our group.
2. Attend at least one social event together.
3. Attend a substantive program and/or a business meeting together.
4. Plan for some "unstructured" time just to chat with your mentee -- treat your mentee to lunch or dinner.
5. Spend some time walking through the Exhibit Hall together. Share your insights on how to maximize time spent in the Exhibit Hall.
6. If you are chairing a committee or otherwise involved in any of the programs, invite your mentee to attend.
7. For networking purposes, try to introduce your mentee to as many people as possible.
8. If you enjoy your time at the conference, remember to keep in touch!

ARTICLES ON MENTORING

• Ruth Levor & Jessie Cranford, AALL Mentoring Program - How it Really Works, AALL Spectrum, Apr. 2000, at 30.
• Frank G. Houdek, Meet My Mentor: A Collection of Personal Reminiscences, 91 Law Libr. J. 177-255 (1999).

Last updated on 5/20/08