MLA Mentorship Program

The goal of MLA’s Mentorship Program is to support career development by providing encouragement, support, and guidance to library science students, early-career librarians, mid-career staff looking to advance within their field or library staff looking to transition into another position.

Overview

The MLA Mentorship Program was established to provide a method of introducing and encouraging librarians and other library professionals to work together and network within the community. After several successful years, and based on feedback from past participants, we re-launched the program in 2020 in order to be more inclusive and increase the overall impact.

The Michigan Library Association will match mentor/mentee partners. Participants will each receive a welcome packet identifying their partner. Mentees are expected to make first contact with their assigned mentors. Partnerships are expected to last for six months.

The Mentorship Program is flexible and largely self-directed. The unstructured nature of the program makes it versatile and capable of adapting to a range of participant needs. Mentor and mentee pairs are encouraged to set goals, create a schedule and use communication methods that work for them.

Required Activities for Mentors and Mentees

1. Define their own goals and objectives at the beginning of their mentoring relationship.

2. Establish a communication plan that both parties are willing to follow.

3. Complete a check-in survey at the program's halfway point and a final program evaluation after six months.

4. Identify activities specific to mentee’s professional goals and interests.

Apply to be a Mentor

Apply to be a Mentee

Mentee applications will be open each February and August. Matching will take place in March and September for the Spring and Autumn groups respectively.

Spring Partnerships: April 1 – September 30
Autumn Partnerships: October 1 – March 31

Mentor applications are open all year. Your name will remain on the list of prospective mentors until you wish us to remove it. MLA will contact all prospective mentors in February and August of each year to confirm continued interest in the program. 

Learn more

Mentorship Program FAQ (pdf)

Mentorship Program Overview (pdf)

Questions can be directed to Keeley Briggs, Database Coordinator, at [email protected].