The field of information science is diverse, covering many specialties, one of which is librarianship. In libraries, the major division occurs between public and academic, which then breaks down further into various subspecialties including law, corporate, pharmaceutical, or medical. Once a career niche has been identified, there are wide varieties of competencies for each specialty. For example, in the field of medical librarianship, depending upon personal interests, librarians can focus their career on biomedical informatics, research, technical services, public services, or administrative duties. All play important roles in meeting the informational needs of end users.
A dictionary definition (1) of mentor is “a wise and trusted counselor.” Being mentored is a critical experience for newly identified librarians, as it helps to shape their career paths. Typically, in specialized libraries, there is no formalized educational process or support beyond the basics of the field. Specialization processes and protocol detail are learned as librarians progress through their careers. Fuller (2) states that “the basic library practices of information organizing, cataloging, collection management, dissemination and archiving can be applied to most any profession with success.” Working collaboratively with librarians can greatly increase problem solving across many disciplines, including medicine. A good mentor can illustrate the greater purpose and identify opportunities to contribute beyond the basics of library work. A successful mentor demonstrates that working with end users allows medical librarians to become part of the research and publication process itself.
Mentoring can take many forms such as making crucial networking connections, demonstrating the process of research support, guiding career advancement, or perhaps building awareness of the nuances of the cultural climate of medical librarianship. As noted by Hartman (3) , successful mentoring can also result in enhanced work satisfaction and improved camaraderie.
The value added to medical libraries is essential to the sustained success of the profession. Participating in the mentoring process provides a flow of information and ideas that is simply not gained from the classroom setting. Ptolomey (4) states “The process enriches the commitment to the profession and provides support for the contributions to the evidence base.” Mentoring can also be used as a staff development tool as the process can encourage staff to achieve their fullest career potential by identifying and nurturing key professional interests and strengths. The simple process of sustained encouragement for paraprofessional staff to complete their master’s degree can be viewed as an act of mentoring.
The Medical Library Association (MLA) is the professional organization for medical librarians. MLA recognizes the value of mentoring and supports the formal mentoring process through a variety of methods. For example, MLA maintains a database of potential mentors and new librarians who would like mentoring support. MLA also encourages the mentoring process by maintaining bibliographies regarding mentorships and awards points toward Academy of Health Information Professional certification (AHIP) for mentoring.
I, too, have benefitted from mentoring by wise librarians who imparted their wisdom and sage practices. Among the best advice I have received is the value of working collaboratively across departments, outside of libraries, to achieve mutual goals. This is especially true in the research and publication process. Not only is it more productive to work collaboratively, but it is a lot more fun as well.
I have had the good fortune to have met and worked with exceptional mentors. One of my earlier mentors was the dean of libraries at Mercer University. She actively demonstrated her numerous management and people skills and provided my initial exposure to academic libraries. She took time to share with me the importance of not only the librarianship aspect of managing a library, but also of the business side, which is equally important during these lean budget times. She encouraged my participation in both local and regional library organizations that support and guide academic libraries. Through her leadership, I met with the director of the medical library at Mercer University. The subject of medical libraries and their role in supporting medical education fascinated me. I was thrilled to work with her and her staff as I moved into the medical library arena. I also want to acknowledge and thank the director of medical education at Cedars-Sinai. She has provided guidance and support that has increased my comprehension of my role as library manager at Cedars-Sinai.
The Cedars-Sinai Medical Library is responsible for supporting the informational curriculum for doctors, researchers, nurses, and students enrolled in one of over 60 medical education programs. The library supports mentoring to external students by the process of a formal partnering with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and San Jose State University (SJSU). These programs provide robust internship opportunities to students enrolled in master’s programs of library studies. Each intern requires 120 hours of field work that is coordinated with the medical library and the affiliating university.
During the established mentoring process, each intern receives an introduction to the major functions of a medical library (administration, circulation, reference, document delivery, acquisitions, cataloging, serials, searching, teaching, and web development). After instruction in each area, the intern applies the concepts to practical work situations such as fielding reference queries or working on circulation projects. Near the end of the session, interns work on a special project, based on the interests of the intern and the needs of the library. Interns are evaluated based on their performance, which counts as part of their class grade.
As a strong supporter and recipient of the mentorship process, I have realized firsthand the benefits that a well-established mentoring program can provide and I view the mentorship process as a crucial component to the continued success of all libraries – not just the medical library. Exposure to a good mentor provides invaluable insight into the profession and, perhaps, reveals unrealized opportunities. It is also a satisfying experience to mentor colleagues and transmit knowledge to the younger generation in the profession.
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1. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.5th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2011. 5th ed.
2. Fuller SS. Enabling, empowering, inspiring: research and mentorship through the years. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2000 Jan;88(1):1-10. PubMed PMID: 10658958. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC35192. Epub 2000/02/05. eng.
3. Hartman LM, Abromitis RA, Kuller AB, Epstein BA. Staff development planning in an academic health sciences library. J Med Libr Assoc. 2005 Apr;93(2):271-7. PubMed PMID: 15858631. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC1082945. Epub 2005/04/29. eng.
4. Ptolomey J. Mentoring: supporting the library and information professional? Health Info Libr J. 25. England 2008. p. 309-12.
