Serra librarians invited to serve as mentors

The Serra Cooperative Library System is currently inviting librarians in San Diego and Imperial Counties to join a mentoring program for Serra library paraprofessionals pursuing MLIS degrees. The mentoring program is a component of the three-year IMLS grant recently awarded to the Serra Cooperative Library System and its partners, San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), Desert Valley Library Media Association, and LIBROS, San Diego’s Chapter of REFORMA.

The goal of Preparing Librarians to Serve Diverse Communities Along our Nation's Borderis to address the struggle to fill a growing number of librarian vacancies by recruiting future Serra librarians from among the paraprofessionals who already staff Serra libraries. Fourteen scholarships have been awarded to students enrolled in spring semester classes at SLIS. In addition to financial assistance, a supportive environment is needed to help these MLIS students balance the responsibilities of family and work with the demands of a graduate program.

Mentors are therefore being sought for one or more semesters through June 2012. Mentor – student interaction will involve one to two hours per month of online or telephone communication plus time set aside at sponsored workshops and conferences to meet in person. Mentors will also provide a tour of their libraries and to arrange a “shadow work day” for their students to observe the responsibilities and duties involved.

Benefits to mentors include mileage for attending one professional development grant workshop per year, paid registration to one local professional conference per year, and 15 hours of paid release time to attend grant program meetings or events.

This is an opportunity for librarians to share their knowledge and experience, to provide encouragement and support to future Serra librarians and to enrich both their lives and the library field. For more information, or to express interest in mentoring, please contact Mentor Coordinator Carol Naegele at 760-726-3584 or cnaegele1@cox.net. You may also contact Vera Skop, the Librarians for Diverse Communities Project Director, at 619-232-1225 or veraskop@rocketmail.com