The relationships in mentoring promote an atmosphere that encourages individuals to fulfill their goals. Some mentoring relationships are part of a program with specific expectations. It helps to eliminate hindrances to an effective performance and success to their career by providing access to professional knowledge. Mentors assist individuals to make a difference in their profession and organization. A mentor has a leadership to contribute and sustain a mentoring culture in a supportive workplace that values learning and development. In addition, a mentor provides direction, motivation, emotional support, and a role model. The role of a mentor sometimes varies depending on the needs of the mentee. Both the mentor and the mentee can possibly avoid any complications in terms of their relationship; that is to identify the boundaries, time constraints, accessibility, and agreed method of communication and appropriate evaluation of the mentoring relationship.
Michael Stephens emphasizes on the mentoring relationship between the mentor and mentee. Library and Information Science education (LIS) is vital in a mentoring relationship. There are some benefits of mentoring; one of those benefits is the value of mentoring. In all aspects of the profession, a mentor can advise new librarians which includes tips on relationship with coworkers and administrators. Social networks are everywhere such as tweeter, blogs and facebook. Mentors support and guide students on their online life. Stephens is supported by several mentors during his time at the public library. Later he has become a de facto mentor for newly hire or those who are interested in the library school. Mentoring has a different type of advice compared to LIS. The level of mentoring has a good quality advice that helps improve an educational experience.
The benefits of mentoring towards a student are crucial. Relationship between extrovert students with an introvert mentors is hard to form. This has to be with great adjustment between the mentor and the mentee. Joe Hardenbrook at his Library Dude blog said that a mentor is someone who works in a library. Mentors or LIS professors need to work in a library as front liners and perform an on line mentoring with their mentee to learn more. Through this way, ethics and values are discussed freely. In addition, administrators play a vital role. Both students and newly graduates learn something on front line and behind the scene. These are about how administrator mandates on the cost or funding issues and tough decisions made possible. Simply the learning is a circular process among the front liner staffs, students, administrators, and the LIS professors as well.
As far as the concepts of mentoring is concerned, in the article, mentors at the public library has contributed lots of positive outcomes specially on how to prioritize things in terms of technology such blogging and social web. It also explains how mentoring affects Stephens on his teaching career as he experienced both the roles of being a mentee and a mentor. There is a comparison between mentoring and the type of advice received by LIS students in the process. In fact, a good quality of advice can possibly reach a level of mentoring that improves an educational experience.
On the latter part of the article, partly I disagree on the statement that the word informal is attached on mentoring in librarianship. I believe that mentoring brings success to global trainee programs. Mentors can let you benefit from his experience and assist you from a different point of view in terms of planning and providing proper ways for future career path. Mentors are committed to invest ample time to build a relationship with their mentees and vice versa.
Mentoring via social media is effective. Social media is good for mentoring relationships. In addition, social media is also good for educational assessment, monitoring communication and interactions, and complementing traditional strategies. It is the most economical way of providing student with the personalized training and support the student effectively online through social media.
References
Sthepens, M. (2011). Library Journal. The Role of Mentoring: Office Hours. Retrieved from
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/09/library-education/the-role-of-mentoring-office-hours/
Management Mentors. (2013). Definition of Mentoring, Benefits of Mentoring and Other FAQs
Retrieved from http://www.management-mentors.com/resources/corporate-mentoring-programs-faqs/
