LPC Forum 2020

Day: Monday, May 4, 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM
Room: TBD

Presenters: Chelsea Johnston (University of Florida), Sarah Wipperman (Villanova University), Ian Harmon (West Virginia University), Jody Bailey (Emory University), and Ally Laird (Pennsylvania State University)

Description: While mentoring is common within librarianship, the structure of mentoring programs varies widely. Mentor/mentee relationships may be casual or formal; participants may or may not belong to the same institution or follow similar career paths; the goal may be career-focused or may be to foster a sense of support and belonging. Whatever the structure of a mentoring program, establishing and communicating grounded expectations determine the success of the relationship.

In 2019, the Professional Development Committee of the Library Publishing Coalition launched its pilot Mentorship Program. The Program aims to orient mentees to the LPC and enrich mentors’ experiences with the LPC, building relationships between the two, and to further the development of library publishing through a professional, semi-structured mentorship program. Mentors and mentees were paired up in late February 2019 and provided with suggestions and guidelines on meeting throughout the year.

In this presentation, two pairs of mentors/mentees from the LPC Mentorship Program will discuss shared and separate experiences with establishing a trusted and productive mentoring relationship. We will also recommend strategies for successful mentoring, such as discussing preferred outcomes/goals and being upfront about limitations. There will be ample time for audience questions, and other LPC mentor/mentee pairs are encouraged to attend and share their experiences during this time. Through our session, we hope to host an open conversation that encourages attendees to examine their connections to mentoring, growing a stronger practice within the LPC community.

Learning Outcomes

Through this session, attendees will:

  • Learn more about the LPC Mentorship Program
  • Discover strategies for establishing a successful mentoring relationship
  • Engage in a discussion about mentorship and share experiences