Libraries used to have apprenticeship programs. Rather than attending a university to learn the ins and outs of information science, folks who wanted to learn to be a librarian could just start being a librarian. And they’d start off pretty bad at it, but the other people in the library would teach them as they went. As we all know, in theory there’s no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. Learning on the job provides first-hand knowledge of how to complete the tasks of librarianship.
On the other hand, having the theory behind library and information science to build that practice on has significant advantages. Being able to understand the how and why that underlies the praxis, having a conceptual understanding of information seeking behavior, and just plain being aware of other areas of study than one might find shelving books in the stacks or working the reference desk are all valuable to have. Librarianship, at least in the US, saw those advantages and moved to make the MLIS the standard degree for librarianship.
In shifting to an educational rather than on-the-job basis for librarian training, a lot of the practical experience was lost. Many librarians graduate from MLIS programs with no experience working in an actual library, and bridging the gap between theory and the everyday reality of being a librarian can leave them feeling unprepared. That’s where the mentorship program comes into play.
Implementing a mentorship program within a library is a great way to help new librarians get their footing. More experienced librarians can provide some of the missing on-the-job training of an apprenticeship, explaining how the theory they’ve spent years studying directly applies to the task at hand. Mentorship provides opportunities for rapid iteration of understanding via frequent feedback, which improves job performance and confidence.
Mentorship doesn’t just apply to the hands-on tasks of library work. Mentors also provide opportunities for their mentees to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities. Once a new librarian has gotten the hang of basic circulation tasks, they might be given the opportunity to create libguides for the library’s website, create a display for pride month, or start a new service program. Mentors can also provide continuing education opportunities through classes, workshops, and conferences. Topics can be technical, such as cataloging and metadata, or on “soft skills” like leadership and communication. Mentorship provides an opportunity to continue to grow in one’s career.
Regardless of the size of a library, there are only so many people who can fulfill the traditional role of mentor, and if number of junior staff is high enough, they may be spread thin. Having a larger and more diverse pool of mentors has its benefits. One obvious choice would be to create opportunities for peer feedback. School and academic libraries might look to faculty for mentorship opportunities. A mentor exchange program between affiliated libraries can offer a plethora of new connections to explore. And larger national organizations like the ACRL or international like the IFLA offer opportunities either directly in mentorship or in work on policy committees and other activities. It can be turned around as well: docendo discimus, by teaching we learn. Often mentors learn as much from their mentees as the other way around.
Being a librarian can be a difficult job. Mentorship can provide technical, social, and emotional support. Having a more experienced librarian demonstrate coping skills, work-life balance, boundary setting, and proper rest can help new librarians navigate these struggles while avoiding burnout. When the mentor detects that burnout may be approaching, they can lighten the load. Mentees can also have the opportunity to observe different career trajectories to help them determine which specialties and skills they might like to focus on; if you observe an academic librarian and what you see doesn’t seem appealing, you can choose a different path.
Mentors may also provide special attention to the skills and resources necessary to do their own job, and focus on transmitting those to a mentee for the explicit purpose of succession planning. No librarian will stay in one role in their library forever. They will take on new challenges, take a step back to rest, transfer to another library or retire. There is no room for stasis within librarianship. Since change is the only constant, it can be beneficial to the library as well as to the mentor to train their own replacement, even if such a change isn’t imminent.
There are a lot of reasons why libraries need to have robust mentorship programs. MLIS programs could use them too. Mentor programs need to be built into our curriculum and be a standard expectation within our library culture.