Mission to Mentor

ALSC is looking for mentors. Can you help?

Lots of us mentor colleagues and peers everyday. We share and learn from people in the library to people in neighboring libraries and systems to state association colleagues to our networks on social media (Twitter, Facebook blogs) to our cohort from school or workshops or learning opportunities.

People who are mentored have a leg up in dealing with the picayune and the profound.

People who mentor are willing to share their thoughts and networks to help peers - and gain more knowledge and skills from their proteges.

What does it take to be a mentor?  A desire to share and support; encourage and listen; learn and explore.  We can all be mentors.

You don't have to be a decades-long employed librarian to be a mentor.

You don't have to know ALL.THE.THINGS. to be a mentor.

You don't have to have started a thing or achieved a thing or be involved in a thing to be a mentor.

As Nina Lindsay, ALSC President writes,  "Mentors need not be experts. A good mentor has experience, a grounding in standards and trends, a willingness to share and an eagerness to learn.  I have found mentoring to be much more rewarding than I ever anticipated, and I have learned much from my mentees."

If you would like to be a mentor, please consider stepping up to be one for ALSC. Over 30 people have applied to have a mentor - and there is still a need for mentors to match them with. You can apply by Sept 1 to be a mentor (more details and application here)

Youth services folks are effective because of our networking and support of each other. This is an opportunity to make a difference. Hope you will!