Mentoring

Inspired by our talk of being an aid to the next generation, I recently volunteered to be a mentor to a student at Western.  (That sudden whooshing sound is years flying by – it was stunning to realize that it’s been 17 years since I graduated from UWO! ACK!)

 I had to smile when the student asked me (in slightly woeful tones) if she really had to join associations and schmooze as she had heard at school. Although I can remember feeling the same reluctance at that point in my career, I couldn’t honestly tell her that she can cruise through her career without becoming involved in the larger life of her profession. There are *lots* of people who do (too many), but the benefits you gain from being able to share with others who share the same perspective, challenges and context are so significant that I think you do yourself and your employer a disservice if you don’t participate.

 Rob Hyndman is going to be speaking to TALL next month on Web 2.0 – I think the new technologies are fantastic, and I’m eagerly learning everything I can about them. But in the end, they are merely a new forum – a new way to transmit the impulse to share.

We need to continue to encourage that impulse, regardless of the form it takes.

 Wendy

Generations in the Library – Sources

I am currently working on an article regarding generations in the library, and thought you might find some of the sources I have found to be interesting:

The Millenial Invasion: are you ready? by John J. DiGilio and Gayle Lynn-Nelson, Information Outlook (November 2004).

You Walk with Your Walkman; I Run With My Ipod: The Challenges of Multi-Generational Teaching by Gayle Lynn-Nelson.

Generations at Work – website – see especially papers section

GenX/GenY Caucus of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) – resources webpage

Cheers,
Connie

The Library at night – interview with Alberto Manguel

Last Sunday morning, there was a fascinating interview with Alberto Manguel on Sunday Edition. I’ve been waiting until now to mention it, so that I could provide a link to the interview, which is now up on the CBC’s website. Here you go: http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/ ( choose “Audio” from the toolbar, and see the stories dated November 5 – I don’t seem to be able to link directly).

Manguel is a big fan of libraries, and tells some interesting stories about how literacy and libraries arise in the most unlikely spots (the burromobile, for example). But his advocacy extends pretty much only to “library” as place – in the interview, he seems unimpressed with libraries making internet connections available, or giving up collection space to install public computer terminals.

I’m really looking forward to reading his book , which I purchased this week.

I’d love comments on either the book or the broadcast.

Wendy

Mentoring Our Future Colleagues – Call for Mentors @ Western

Western University has put out a call for librarians to mentor our future colleagues: “The Mentorship Program of the CLA Student Chapter at the University of Western Ontario is currently recruiting mentors for the upcoming winter term.”

The mentorship program has been successfully matching students in the MLIS program at Western with professionals in the LIS field since its inception. Suggested topics for discussion between mentors and their student mentees include:

• resume review
• course recommendations
• industry overviews
• professional trends
• current issues
• job shadowing
• library tours
• attending conferences
• introductions to other professionals in the field

They have been receiving very positive feedback from both mentors and mentees involved in the program and we invite you to participate!
If you would like to learn more about the program or to register to be a mentor for an LIS student please email: westernmentorship@gmail.com.

More details on the “Inside OLITA” blog.

Take your kids to work day

For those in Ontario, yesterday was “Take your kids to work” day.  Grade 9 students get to accompany a parent or other adult to their workplace to see what their job is like. The degree of support from employers varies from workplace to workplace.  In the past, the Commission has put on a pretty good program – rather than just having the kids shadow one person, they arranged tours, so that the students could see the variety of professions and jobs available to them in a relatively small organisation.  The library has been involved in different ways – one year, I did a presentation on information literacy, and why libraries are still useful in the Internet/Google universe (sound familiar?). 

In view of our discussion at the Institute about continuing to develop the profession and “selling” it as an option to the next generation(s), I’m wondering what other workplaces are doing with their “Bring your kids to work” programs, and also wondering what other activities we could try.  Info*Nation (which we discussed) is interesting, but doesn’t give the kids the real-life exposure that “Bring your kids” does.

 Are there similar initiatives elsewhere? What do you do? Does it create “converts”?

 Wendy