Presentation
Mentoring the Next Generation of Librarians.ppt
Ohio Health Sciences Library Association 2018 Spring Meeting
(2018)
Abstract
Library mentoring programs can impact both experienced and new librarians. While many librarians have benefited both personally and professionally from mentoring relationships, some argue that the next generation of librarians may not respond to typical traditional or classic mentoring techniques. As a millennial who has had many in-depth discussions on this topic, the author believes that many of the mentoring tools that worked so well in the past do not seem to resonate with millennial librarians today. For example, the baby-boom generation may have had one or two separate mentoring relationships throughout their career. The millennial generation, however, may respond better to multiple, simultaneous mentoring relationships.
Research shows that 60% of the baby-boom generation will retire by 2025 (Freedman, 2009), taking with them much of the knowledge, training, and experience that could help mentor the next generation of librarians. As the baby-boom generation of librarians prepares for retirement, many millennials are just now entering the field. Mentoring is the vehicle to help transfer knowledge from one generation of librarians to the next.
Modernized and properly implemented mentoring techniques are vital in easing the transition into new positions, increasing employee retention, and creating an organization-wide team environment. Mentoring can also serve as a learning experience for both the mentor and the mentee, providing reciprocal educational opportunities that may arise during the mentor-mentee relationship. Mentoring plays a significant role in cultivating the next generation of librarians, but library staffs need to identify the learning needs of each generation and then transfer that information into relatable mentoring tools. Utilizing alternative models of mentoring is necessary for cultivating the next generation. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, rather than a generational-targeted one, does not allow library organizations to realize the full potential that mentoring programs offer.
Keywords
- Mentoring,
- mentor,
- mentee,
- librarians,
- millennials,
- baby boomers
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring April 20, 2018
Location
Columbus, OH
Citation Information
Tiffney Gipson. "Mentoring the Next Generation of Librarians.ppt" Ohio Health Sciences Library Association 2018 Spring Meeting (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tiffney-gipson/1/