Guidelines for Mentors and Mentees

The NASIG Mentoring Program is designed to match experienced librarians and information professionals with graduate students and early career professionals. For the mentees, we strive to provide an environment for growth and encouragement as well as offer opportunities for constructive feedback and networking. For the mentors, we hope to provide an opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills, gain new perspectives on the profession and develop new networks.

Get in touch with the NASIG Mentoring & Student Outreach Committee at mentoring@nasig.org if for any reason you are unable to fulfill your duties as a mentor or mentee so we can reach out to your mentee or mentor and make alternative arrangements. If the committee determines that a mentor/mentee match is not working out, we will be sure to inform both parties and rematch mentors and mentees when necessary.

How to Be a Good Mentor

• Comply with NASIG Code of Conduct in all communications with mentees
• Apply to be a Mentoron the NASIG Mentoring homepage.
• Once you have been matched with and introduced to your mentee by the committee and received their contact information, review their mentee application information and get in touch as soon as possible to introduce yourself.
• Take a few minutes to talk to your mentee by phone, email, online meeting, chat, or text. Some things that you might want to discuss with your Mentee are:
• • Interests of your Mentee (either professional or personal).
  • What they hope to get out of the mentoring program
  • Opportunities that NASIG can provide that may be useful to them e.g. webinars, conferences, committee participation.
• Reach out to your mentee at the beginning of each month with the monthly discussion topic. Feel free to talk about the monthly discussion topic or anything else that your mentee might be interested in. 
• Communicate with your mentee in a way that is convenient for you both.
• Be realistic, positive, and professional in your communications.
• Get in touch with the NASIG Mentoring & Student Outreach Committee at mentoring@nasig.org if for any reason you are unable to fulfill your duties as a mentor so we can reach out to your mentee and make alternative arrangements.
• Complete the evaluation form at the end of the program.

How to Be a Good Mentee

• Comply with NASIG Code of Conduct in all communications with mentees.
• Apply to be a Mentee on the NASIG Mentoring homepage.
• Once you have been matched with and introduced to your mentor by the committee and received their contact information, reply to your mentor when they contact you. If you don't hear from them, feel free to try to contact them.
• Make plans to talk with your mentor by phone, email, online meeting, chat, or text.
• Respond to your mentor when they reach out at the beginning of each month with the monthly discussion topic. Feel free to talk about the monthly discussion topic or anything else that you might be interested in.
• Communicate with your mentor in a way that is convenient for you both.
• Get in touch with the NASIG Mentoring & Student Outreach Committee at mentoring@nasig.org if for any reason you need to leave the program or if you have any questions or needs that your mentor can not answer.
• Complete the evaluation form at the end of the program.