Mentorship in Collections and Resource Management: An Implied Competency

Abstract

At NASIG’s 2019 conference, Kirstin Steele and Courtney McAllister spoke about the importance of mentorship in making acquisitions, electronic resources, and collections librarians successful and dynamic. The role of mentorship in the profession encourages continual personal and professional growth, and helps practitioners maintain relevant skills. The presenters framed mentorship as an implied or unspoken competency. While not explicitly mentioned in NASIG’s core competency documentation, it is a practice that serves a foundational role in making those competencies and qualities achievable. The presenters shared their personal experiences as mentors, mentees, and peer-to-peer mentors, while offering some advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various mentorship scenarios. Achieving and maintaining a healthy mentorship dynamic can be a complex process. McAllister and Steele emphasized the importance of clear and straightforward communication, managing expectations, documenting takeaways, and identifying realistic time commitments.