Library Guides: CCL Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force: Mentoring Initiative

Introduction

The Council of Chief Librarians Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force Mentoring Initiative aims to support CUNY full-time and part-time library faculty and professional (HEO line) staff in historically under-represented groups with mentoring toward library leadership roles at and beyond CUNY or for research and scholarship during our 2023-2024 mentoring initiative.

Mentoring is..."a supportive learning relationship between a caring individual who shares knowledge, experience, and wisdom with another individual who is ready and willing to both develop leadership qualities and partnership skills, as well as to realize a vision benefit from this exchange" (LLAMA, n.d.) Ideally mentoring benefits both the mentee and mentor.

Overview

Applications will be solicited from potential mentees and mentors (see timeline below). Mentors with expertise in a range of leadership areas and/or research and scholarship will be recruited from CCL and CUNY senior library faculty. Mentees will be paired with mentors and expected to meet once/month between November 2023 and June 2024. Both mentees and mentors will submit a brief evaluation and reflection on their experience, and the CCL DEI Task Force will evaluate with an aim to continue and expand the initiative in the following academic year.

Administration

The CCL DEI Task Force will coordinate this pilot mentoring initiative, to include:

Soliciting applications from potential mentees
Recruiting mentors from CCL and CUNY senior library faculty
Creating the mentor-mentee pairings, ensuring that pairs are not from the same library
Checking in with mentees and mentors during the initiative to identify and address any concerns
Review participant evaluations and reflections to evaluate the mentoring initiative
Revise and implement revisions to the mentoring initiative
Recognize the participation mentors and mentees with a letter of appreciation

Attributes of Mentees

Mentee applications will be solicited from full-time and part-time library faculty and professional (HEO line) staff in historically under-represented groups from all CUNY libraries, who are interested in exploring library leadership at or beyond CUNY and/or research and scholarship.

Mentees commit to:

Be available for at least 8 meetings with mentors during November 2023-June 2024
Submit an end of semester evaluation and reflection
Commit to confidentiality in the mentee-mentor relationship
Attend the required orientation session on Friday 11/3 @ 10am (via Zoom)
Bring questions about skills, knowledge, and career paths in library leadership to mentoring meetings
Prepare for the mentoring meetings by reading the resources below

Attributes of Mentors

Mentors will be recruited from the Council of Chief Librarians and from CUNY senior library faculty with expertise (and a willingness to share it) in these leadership areas:

Advocating for library resources and personnel
Handling challenging situations
Job shadowing (a mentee will accompany a mentor for part of their workday)
Leadership in any position
Professional service
Research & scholarship
Searching for and applying to leadership positions
Service in the library, college, university
Supervising library faculty and staff

Mentors commit to:

Be available for at least 8 meetings with mentees during November 2023-June 2024
Submit an end of semester evaluation and reflection
Commit to confidentiality in the mentor-mentee relationship
Attend the required orientation session on Friday 11/3 @ 10am (via Zoom)
Share skills and knowledge from your professional experience
Provide career advice and counseling based on related experience
Offer encouragement and inspire self-confidence and excellence
Prepare for the mentoring meetings by reading the resources below

Timeline for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

October 2-22, 2023: call for applications open, solicit mentees and recruit mentors
October 23-27, 2023: CCL DEI Task Force reviews applications for mentees and mentors and creates mentorship pairings
October 27, 2023: mentee and mentor pairs notified
Friday November 3, 2023 @ 10am: required meet & greet/orientation via Zoom
November 2023-June, 2024:
- hold at least 8 meetings total for each mentee
- bi-monthly check-ins from CCL DEI Task Force
June 30, 2024: mentoring initiative reflection and evaluation due from mentees and mentors
Summer, 2024: CCL DEI Task Force reviews evaluations and reflections, and proposes revisions for the following academic year

Please note that dates are subject to change if needed.

Call for Applications

Apply to be a mentee

Apply to be a mentor

Mentoring Initiative Resources

Mentors and mentees should plan to read these brief articles before their first meeting.

Lee, Y. (2020). Mentorship as a Tool for Growth, Inclusion, and Equity. Idealist.
Bergen, A. (2018). Want to be a Mentor? Here's How | Part 1. Idealist.
Bergen, A. (2018). Want to be a Mentor? Here's How | Part 2. Idealist.
Knokh, I. (2022). Becoming a Mentor: 10 Things to Ponder. EDUCAUSE Review.

Questions?

Please get in touch with the CCL DEI Task Force, Chair, Maura Smale (msmale@gc.cuny.edu).

Some guidelines adapted from the LLAMA Formal Mentoring Guide and the ACRL/NY Mentoring Program. Many thanks to the Council of Chief Librarians and the LACUNY Multicultural and Diversity Roundtable for their review and feedback.