Transforming: Library Workforce

Mentorship for All: Creating a Statewide Mentoring Program

Monday, June 27, 2022

9:00am – 10:00am

Location: Washington Convention Center, 140B

This session will describe the steps taken to create a statewide mentorship program for interested and motivated library staff. The panelists will share a pilot project in Colorado that was founded with a commitment to increasing diversity in library leadership, and fostering equity, diversity and inclusion by empowering library workers, library administrators, and information professionals from underserved groups to connect with each other and share professional knowledge and experience for career growth. Panelists will share the menu of mentoring options, how each option was operationalized, evaluation results from participants, and lessons learned from their experience.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will be able to distinguish between and describe various mentoring options.
Attendees will be able to evaluate the utility of specific mentoring options.
Attendees will be able to apply principles to their local conditions.
Attendees will be able to create a plan of action to implement in their state.
Attendees will be able to explain the benefits of a statewide mentorship program.

Main Contact(s)

Donna Walker

Executive Director
Jefferson County Public Library

Moderator(s)

Donna Walker

Executive Director
Jefferson County Public Library

Speaker(s)

Rose Nelson

Assistant Director
Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
Christine Kreger

Professional Development Consultant
Colorado State Library
Padma Polepeddi

Assistant Director of Public Services, Community Outreach
Jefferson County Public Library
Bailey Wallace

Access & Public Services Department Head
Auraria Library