The Libraries Assembly Mentorship Program is designed to provide Duke library staff with the opportunity to receive guidance and support from within our own campus community. All staff from Duke’s libraries (including Perkins, Bostock, Rubenstein, Lilly, Music, the Marine Lab, Business, Divinity, Law, Medicine, and the LSC) are encouraged to participate, regardless of job family or designation.
In order to enter the program, you will first need to fill out an online questionnaire.
To request mentorship: https://forms.gle/mzigZK3s1oAuiXYRA
To volunteer as a mentor: https://forms.gle/NLgZCjnQNu65k3Rm9
The form asks some basic questions about areas of professional interest and any considerations the committee should take in finding a compatible match in either a mentoring pair or small group. Each form can be completed in just a few minutes. The committee will review all the applications and try to find compatible mentoring partner(s) from different departments or divisions. All participants will have the opportunity to approve the match before moving forward. Please note that there may not be enough mentors or mentees to meet demand, but applications will open again each semester so that others can participate.
Please submit your form by end of day Friday, November 15, 2024. The committee will try to match and introduce new participants by the end of the calendar year.
A committee liaison will be assigned to each pair or group. Training materials will be provided to help participants establish goals and get started. To get the greatest benefit from this program, the committee suggests matches meet for about an hour each month for 12 months. The program is designed to flexible, though, so participants may adjust their schedule to their needs, exit their match, or leave the program at any time.
Mentorship Committee Charge
(from the Bylaws Article VII, Section 7)
The Mentorship Committee, composed of at least four members, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. The term of office for all members shall be two years, with at least two members being appointed one year and at least two the next. To provide continuity, a committee member will serve as Mentorship Committee Chair for one year of their two-year committee term. For coordination of activities, a member of the Professional Affairs Committee may serve as an ex-officio member.
It shall be the duty of the Mentorship Committee to match current library staff in mentoring pairs or small groups according to staff needs and areas of interest; develop guidelines, procedures, and expectations for participating in the program; and distribute resources related to good mentoring practices. The Mentorship Committee shall partner with the Professional Affairs Committee on marketing and promotion of events such as trainings or other informal meetings for program participants.
Committee Members:
- Henry Hebert – 2023-2025, Chair
- Giao Luong Baker – 2023-2025
- Jennifer Baker – 2024-2026
- Natalie Sommerville – 2024-2026
History
The Libraries Assembly Executive Committee (LAEC) charged a working group in March 2021 to investigate the creation of a mentorship program for library staff across Duke’s multiple libraries. After a year of research, consultation with Duke library staff, and speaking with representatives from mentorship programs at other academic libraries, the Working Group released a proposal for a formal program:
In early 2022, LAEC charged a Special Committee to administer a 12 month pilot program of seven mentoring pairs. At the conclusion of the pilot, the committee conducted an assessment with the remaining 12 participants. The committee produced a full report on the details of the successful pilot program and the generally positive feedback received from participants:
The mentorship committee was approved as a standing committee by vote of the Libraries Assembly membership in June 2024.
Working Group Members 2021/2022:
- Joyce Chapman
- Emily Daly
- Ciara Healy
- Henry Hebert (chair)
- Mandy Hurt
- Jovana Ivezic
- Bill Verner
Committee Members 2022/2023:
- Giao Luong Baker
- Valerie Gillispie
- Arianne Hartsell-Gundy
- Ciara Healy
- Henry Hebert (chair)
- Sigrid K. Kjaer
Committee Members 2023/2024:
- Giao Luong Baker
- Arianne Hartsell-Gundy
- Henry Hebert (chair)
- Sigrid K. Kjaer
- Beverly Murphy
