This month we celebrate another successful LPC Connections program (formerly known as the LPC Peer Mentorship program). The program, which is managed by the LPC Professional Development Committee, provides an opportunity for participants to meet other members in LPC, share ideas and thoughts about library publishing, learn new things, share experiences, and generally support their peers in their library publishing program.
In 2025, the Professional Development piloted a new model for the program, moving from a one-to-one model, where participants meet with the same person regularly for a year, to a one-to-many model, where participants meet with a different person each month, giving them the opportunity to meet more like-minded individuals with varied experiences. This change was based on comments provided by the 2024 cohort in the mid-year and annual feedback forms.
The one-to-many pilot commenced in February 2025. In the mid-year and end-of-year reviews, we learned that participants liked the new model because it created an opportunity to learn about many different types of library publishing models and to meet a larger number of individuals; however, they also missed the deeper connections that a one-to-one model can provide.
Consequently, the current LPC Connections coordinators are making a few adjustments to the program for the coming year. In 2026, we will be organizing the meetings in small groups (2 to 3 people, depending on the number of participants) for 2 to 3 times before rotating the groups, bringing together the best of both worlds. We hope many of you will consider joining the program for 2026 and sharing your knowledge and experiences with your fellow LPC members.
Timeline for the 2026 cycle:
- Applications open December 10! We are accepting applications through January 14, and we’ll send out regular reminders.
- The list of participants and rotation schedule will be shared so you can get to know your Connection(s) before meeting up. You and your Connection(s) can schedule a meeting time that works for everyone.
- The LPC Connections coordinators will provide you with talking points to help jump-start the conversation, but you are welcome to delve into any topic that interests you. We imagine that meetings will be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes (most participants reported meeting for at least 45 minutes) but it’s flexible.
- We will send out mid-year and annual feedback forms so you can let us know how it’s going and how we can improve the program.
Questions? Feel free to reach out to the LPC Connection Coordinators: Stefanie Buck (stefanie.buck@oregonstate.edu) and Cosette Bruhns Alonso (cosette_bruhns@brown.edu)