Narratives of Academic Librarians: Mentorship

Mentorship

            Perhaps the theme of initial disorientation is a natural antecedent to the theme of mentorship which was prevalent in most of the librarian narratives. Since mentorship is a fairly common practice among institutions onboarding new employees, this theme is unsurprising, however the emphasis from one librarian to the next and the transition from mentee to mentor amongst the more experienced librarians shows a strong reach for external guidance in the form of a mentor in constructing self-identity. As some librarians became mentors later in their careers, their role also gave them an opportunity to retain and evolve that aspect of their self-constructed work identity.

Librarian 2 provides a strong example of identifying as a mentee and describing this role as the primary motivator for continuing their career at a critical juncture. At one point, they faced the very real prospect of leaving the profession due to frustration and burnout. Their narrative illustrates how mentorship was a lifeline, a source of both emotional and professional stability.

“It was to the point where I was ready to quit the profession.
I was like, I could go get a job working at Walmart and not deal with these frustrations. So, I was ready to quit.
Fortunately, I was still working on publishing with my previous mentor and that was kind of keeping me afloat.
The librarians that worked under me and, and beside me were great and I liked the students.
That was probably what kind of kept me afloat.”

-Librarian 2

In this context, mentorship not only provided immediate support but also a sense of purpose and connection that helped Librarian 2 push through a difficult time in their personal and professional lives. The guidance from their mentor not only shaped their professional trajectory but also helped preserve their passion for librarianship.

Librarian 4 similarly underscores the weight that mentorship held for their identity. Their desire to contribute to the profession as a mentor speaks to the profound impact that past mentors had on their sense of self and their aspirations for growth.

“I was interested in mentoring.
I had a lot of mentoring, so I want to give back.
I do have a [colleague I am mentoring].
They came to me and asked me to be a mentor.
I said, I need to get my promotion so we're doing this together and I am just trying to focus on that personal mentor program.”

-Librarian 4

This reflects not only the personal growth that comes from assuming the role of a mentor but also the mutual nature of mentorship. It is a two-way street—while Librarian 4 is helping a mentee navigate the profession, they are also redefining themselves in the latter half of their own career, using the mentorship as both a personal and professional growth opportunity.

Librarian 5 and 6 also extol the virtues of mentorship, with Librarian 6 describing the value of having another librarian with the same duties at their initial hire date and learning to take on their role after the more experienced librarian had left.