REFORMA
Mentoring Program
Goals
To provide mentoring relationships
for ALA Latino Spectrum Scholars, REFORMA MLS Scholarship recipients and Librarians working with the Latino
communities with seasoned REFORMA librarians.
To develop and maintain a pool
of Latino librarians, and to help non-Latino librarians to become familiar
and confident in providing library services to the Latino population.
To develop protégés to be successful
in their MLS graduate programs; to be marketable, self‑confident
in the library work environment; to become more knowledgeable about
the library field and library opportunities; and to assist them in their
job searches.
To assist librarian protégés in
their quest to serve the Latino communities in developing services and
programs that fit the needs of their communities.
To share this Mentoring Program design with all other ALA Ethnic Caucuses encouraging them to develop similar programs.
Objectives
To
recruit ALA Latino Spectrum Scholars, REFORMA MLS Scholarship recipients
and Librarians working with the Latino communities [protégés] for the
mentoring program.
To
recruit and provide a pool of experienced REFORMA librarians as potential
mentors.
To develop REFORMA mentoring teams.
Timeline
February-June
Produce/disseminate PR/Media materials to REFORMA Membership, ALA and ethnic caucuses.
By August of every year
Obtain the
list of newly-selected Latino ALA Spectrum Scholars
from the ALA Diversity Officer including their mailing addresses
and MLS institution.
Obtain the list of the newly-selected REFORMA Scholarship recipients
from the REFORMA Scholarship Committee including their mailing
addresses and MLS institution.
Obtain a list of librarians from the REFORMA Children and Youth Services Committee.
June-September of every year
Disseminate
Mentor Application forms to REFORMA librarians with application
deadline of October 15.
Disseminate Protégé Application forms to Latino Spectrum scholars, REFORMA Scholarship recipients, and Librarians with application deadline of October 15.
By December 31 of every year
All mentoring teams are matched and officially notified. PR announcements distributed.
By December 15 of every year
Orientation Packets will be sent out after official notification. That will be the official start of the mentoring teams
.*** Succeeding cycles begin February of each year.
Guidelines
General
Participation
is voluntary for both mentor and protégé. The REFORMA
Mentoring Committee will match mentors and protégé.
The Committee
will attempt to match participants by geographic proximity, when possible.
Participants
may request a specific mentoring partner; the Committee will try to
accommodate such requests. These requests will also be kept confidential.
REFORMA
will be the supporting organization for the Mentoring Program.
If either party feels there has been a mismatch, the Committee will resolve the situation
Mentors and Protégés
While
participation is voluntary, at least a two-year commitment is
expected of all parties.
The frequency
of contacts is determined by the participants, but at least monthly
contact is strongly suggested. Contact can include, but is not limited
to, email correspondence, phone calls, meetings at conferences where
mentor/protégé are attending, et cetera.
When geographically
possible, mentors are encouraged to invite/meet protégé at professional
meetings, conferences, and workshops. (This constitutes no financial
obligation for mentors)
To make
the best possible match, mentors and protégés must fill out the program
applications.
Protégés
must be Latino MLS students, ALA Latino Spectrum Scholars, REFORMA scholarship
recipients or Librarians working with the Latino communities to be considered
for the Program. Protégés need to become REFORMA members
as soon as they are accepted in the program.
Mentors do not have to be Latino to participate but must be REFORMA members in good standing.
Contact
For more information please contact:
Beckie Brazell
REFORMA Mentoring Committee
2525 Gray Street
Edgewater, CO 80214
Tel: (303) 935-0721Or email at:
reformamentoring@yahoo.com