Common Questions from Mentors
1. Why should I consider a mentoring relationship? People who have been successful in their careers can often point to specific mentors from whom they learned valuable lessons. The benefits for the mentor may include:
- Solidifying and clarifying professional practices by explaining it to someone else.
- Acquiring new ideas and insights from the mentee.
- Immense satisfaction in teaching others and watching them grow professionally.
2. Is mentoring only for someone who is new to librarianship? No, people at every stage in their careers have found mentoring to be a useful tool to help them succeed. Experienced staff members may find that mentoring helps them overcome a career hurdle or acquire an important skill.
3. How can I find a mentee? You may find someone who is seeking a mentor in several ways: through work relationships, at meetings/events, or through the CLRC mentoring service. Keep in mind that both the mentee and mentor must to agree to enter into the mentoring relationship.
4. How will someone ask me to be a mentor? A mentee may approach a mentor directly with a request for mentorship. A request may also come through the CLRC mentoring service. In either case, the mentee should be able to talk about her or his goals and expectations for the relationship. The mentor should only accept the mentee if the mentor can create time for the relationship. Once the mentor agrees to enter into a mentoring relationship, the mentee should consider completing a Mentoring Memo of Understanding with the mentor. (See below.)
5. Is there a formal process that I need to use with my mentee? No, however, it is advised that a mentee and mentor establish guidelines (using the Mentoring Memo of Understanding), meet regularly, and provide frequent feedback about their relationship. The specifics on how the relationship progresses are up to you.
6. What is the Mentoring Memo of Understanding? A Mentoring Memo of Understanding (MMOU) is a form to be completed by both the mentee and mentor as a way of establishing some basic ground rules concerning the mentoring relationship. Because the mentee is the person who is requesting this relationship, it is important that the mentee make known as many expectations as possible at the beginning of the relationship, so that the relationship can develop appropriately.
Completing a MMOU is not mandatory, but those who have used such a document have found the groundwork it provides to be beneficial in creating a solid and stable mentoring relationship.
7. How often should I meet with my mentee? In order to benefit from the mentoring relationship, the mentee and mentor should meet every two weeks at a minimum. Those meetings may be face-to-face, by telephone or via e-mail (or another communications medium). The meetings may be short (15 minutes) or long (1 hour).
8. Who controls the mentoring relationship? Since the mentoring relationship is born out of the mentee's need and desire, it is the mentee who controls the relationship. For example, the mentee should initiate the meetings and set the agenda. In addition, it is up to the mentee to decide if she or he should take the advice that the mentor provides. Watching a mentee ignore "good" advice can be difficult, but a mentee can only accept advice that she or he believes will be a benefit, and that belief may take time to develop.
9. Is mentoring confidential? That is something for the mentee and mentor discuss at the start of the mentoring relationship, as well as during the relationship itself. Do the mentee and mentor want information from the relationship discussed outside of the relationship? Does the mentee want others to know that she or he is being mentored? Does the mentor want others to know of her or his mentoring activities? Those are questions that should be discussed when the mentee and mentor complete the Mentoring Memo of Understanding.
10. Does my boss need to know that I am a mentor? If you are being a mentor as part of a work-related activity, then "yes." If you are being a mentor through your own initiative and not because it is a job requirement, then your supervisor or manager does not need to know that you are a mentor. However, if you are meeting your mentee doing normal work hours, then you may need to inform your supervisor or manager so that he or she is aware of this on-the-job activity. If you are unsure about the degree that you must keep your supervisor or manager "in-the-loop," please talk to him or her or contact CLRC for advice.
11. How long does a mentoring relationship last? A mentoring relationship can last for months or years, depending on the goals of the mentee as well as the relationship that is formed between the mentee and mentor. At periodic intervals during the mentoring relationship, the mentee and mentor should review the goals and discuss how the mentoring relationship is helping the mentee reach those goals. Those periodic reviews will help the mentee and mentor assess if the relationship should continue or if it is time for it to end.
12. What activities should I do with my mentee? That is up to the mentee and mentor. See the CLRC handout "Mentoring Activities" for suggestions.
13. Can I have more than one mentee? Yes, it is possible to have more than one mentee at the same time (perhaps one formal mentee and one informal mentee). A mentor may also have many different mentees over the course of a career, if the person's time and schedule allow for it.
14. What resources are available in order to learn more about mentoring? CLRC maintains books, pamphlets and videos on mentoring in its Library Archive and Resource Center (see the CLRC handout "Mentoring Resources in the Library Archive and Resource Center"). In addition, there are resources available on the CLRC web site.
15. What is CLRC's role in mentoring among library staff members in the region? CLRC recognizes that mentoring can be important in assuring the success of library staff members. In order to foster mentoring in the region, CLRC will assist mentees in finding and connecting with a mentor. In addition, CLRC has created a mentoring toolkit which contains resources to assist mentees and mentors in their relationships. For more information on CLRC's activities in regards to mentoring, go to www.clrc.org.
CLRC's efforts in mentoring were initially supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
16. If I have questions about mentoring or concerns about my mentoring relationship, who can I contact? Please contact Penelope Klein (
pjklein@clrc.org) or Nancy Howe (
howe@clrc.org) at CLRC, who are overseeing CLRC mentoring initiative for its members. They are available to answer questions and provide advice, as well as connect you with a mentee.
Posted on 07/15/08