Introduction
In many cases East Asian Studies librarians work at institutions with no other librarians in their specific area (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or even in their professional assignment like Cataloging). There are even East Asian Studies specialists who are required to take care of all the East Asian subject related tasks. This isolation often makes it unfeasible for them, not to mention for a newly hired specialist, to get help learning Chinese, Japanese, or Korean librarianship. To meet this need, the CEAL Membership Committee has inaugurated a mentor/mentee program to match an experienced East Asian Studies librarian (mentor) with an interested mentee. A mentor optimally will be an experienced and trusted advisor, giving guidance and support to a mentee. This is not intended as a job search program. If you agree to be a mentor or a mentee, the CEAL Membership Committee will add your name and information to the list of mentor/mentee candidates. The Committee will have exclusive access to this list, for the purpose of protecting personal information and maintaining the confidentiality of that data.
This project was initiated when the Membership Committee had a successful and pleasant "CEAL Mentoring Projects/Talking With Experienced Librarians Round Table" at the annual CEAL meeting in March 2004. We present our program here In order to expand on this initial step.
Goal
To facilitate mentees finding appropriate mentors and creating a learning environment for people who are interested in East Asian Studies librarianship.
Commitment
The only commitment you make if you say "yes" to being on the mentor/mentee list is that you will consider accepting a mentee or a mentor when contacted by the Membership Committee. There is no pressure, but each participant is asked to recognize that participating in this program involves a time and pledge commitment to a respective mentor/mentee, The level of interaction between a mentor and mentee is flexible and is mutually agreed upon by each pair. If you feel that they are not a good match on receiving their information, or after talking with your proposed partner, then you are quite free to say no.
Once agreed upon, mentors and mentees are required to commit to a one-year term together. The specifics of the arrangement, including the preferred type of communication (phone, email, in-person, or online meeting), the topics to be covered, and the amount of time to be spent on the arrangement, are entirely up to the pairs and should be negotiated at the beginning of the mentorship term. You may be invited to share your experiences with new participants at the following year's meeting, either separately or jointly (another thing you can negotiate with your pair).
Procedure
- Apply as mentor or mentee
- Contacted by the Membership Committee with potential match
- Pairs finalized and introduced by email
- Pairs contact one another, negotiated their mentorship
- At the end of term, contacted by the Membership Committee and receive Feedback Form
- Feedback provided to benefit future mentor-mentee pairs
The mentor-mentee pairs will be finalized and informed by email throughout the year-so your year may not follow the calendar year or CEAL year. Sometime during your year together, you may have the opportunity to meet in-person a the CEAL Annual Meeting.
At the end of the year-long program, all participants are asked to fill out the Mentorship Program Feedback Form (Google form) to share your experience and/or make suggestions for improvement.
Participating
If you are interested in being a mentor or a mentee, please read the section The Who and What of Mentoring below, and fill out the application:
All participants are asked to inform the Membership Committee if there are any problems contacting their partners at any time.
For questions about the mentorship program, please contact Xi Chen (xic031@ucsd.edu)
Congratulations on joining the CEAL Mentorship Program! The mentoring process can benefit both the new librarian and the experienced professional as each learns from the insights and perspectives of the other. While the formal CEAL Mentorship program lasts one year, informal relationships can be fostered and mutually beneficial for both participants for years to come! This page presents suggestions and resources for getting the most out of this transformative experience.
Who can Participate?
Who Can Become a Mentee?
Every CEAL member is welcome to be a mentee, whether you are a student, a newly minted professional, or a more seasoned librarian. This is a great opportunity to connect with someone in the field who will work with you to develop your career.
Mentors fill out this form: https://forms.gle/5q635rooU9enD6DQ6
Who Can Become a Mentor?
We welcome mentors from all levels of professional experience in academic libraries. Mentoring offers a meaningful way to engage with a colleague, be a supportive listener, and help them identify and achieve their professional goals. Ordinarily, mentors will not be working at the same institution as the mentee.
Mentees fill out this form: https://forms.gle/8v4kYGPXR8nnSR9i7
Getting Started. What Should We discuss?
Once you have been paired with your partner, please consider the following ideas and suggestions to get the most out of this program:
Establish a meeting schedule: Research shows that mentors and mentees are most satisfied with mentoring when they have set up a meeting schedule, and particularly when they meet frequently. This stands to reason as the mentoring partnership involves getting to know one another and developing mutual trust.
Respect confidentiality: Both parties may feel some vulnerability in getting to know one another or sharing career goals and information. Remember that you are building trust in your mentoring partnership. Talk about respecting confidentiality early, and honor your commitment.
Roles & Responsibilities: Both parties should take an active role in building the partnership. Mentees should be encouraged to direct meeting agendas and conversations to topics important to them, individual problems or challenges, career issues they need help or guidance with, and so on. Mentors should listen, ask questions, and offer objective information and support. It's okay to switch roles now and then and have mentors take the lead, but mentors should remember their primary role is to serve the needs and interests of the mentee.
What should we talk about? Anything relevant or of interest to the mentee! We also recommend considering the different needs and goals of mentees, as outlined below in the section “What is ‘Mentoring’?” Other topics for discussion include common issues of orientation in the world of librarianship, how the mentee is settling in to or evolving in their position, conference and travel plans, the components of annual review and promotion, and related topics.
What is “Mentoring”?
The term "mentoring" can mean many different things to different people, but in East Asian Librarianship, most mentees will likely have some combination of the needs and goals listed below. As you consider how to get the most from this program, we encourage you to take a moment to identify which are most important to you and discuss them openly with your partner:
Professional Development
Many of you might be looking for help learning how to manage time, resolve conflicts, administer projects, conduct and promote your research, and make strategic decisions about service commitments.
Emotional Support
As you (aim to) transition to a new career, or a new position within your organization, you may need support in dealing with the common stress and pressures of new responsibilities and expectations.
Access to Networks / Sense Of Community
As you pursue your goals, you may seek access to opportunity structures that might not be immediately apparent to you as a newcomer. You may also find yourself seeking an intellectual and/or social community where you have a sense of belonging. Developing community ties has become challenging since the pandemic since meetings are still held by Zoom and thus offer less opportunity for informal conversation and networking.
Accountability and Feedback
As you pursue various service, curatorial, description, or research projects, you may need a trusted colleague to provide substantive comments on your progress and new ideas. Also, since it’s easy to get caught up in the daily chaos of work, many of us need an accountability system and seek such support from our mentors.
Institutional Support
You also need to cultivate relationships with people who are invested in your success at your institution and beyond. Some of you may be seeking senior colleagues who are willing to use their professional knowledge and network to advocate for your best interests.
Role Models
As we navigate our various career challenges and goals, we sometimes draw inspiration from those who have gone before us.
Safe Space
We all need a safe space, but for newcomers it's especially important to have trusted colleagues who can help them discuss and process individual experiences without being invalidated, questioned, devalued and/or disrespected.
Note: The above lists and guidelines are adapted from the following resources. Please feel free to comment or make further suggestions as we refine our program:
Mentoring Program Summary from the Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO)
Mentoring Resources and Best Practices from Iowa State University Library.
"On Mentoring,” by Kerry Anne Roquemoore in for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)