Mentoring - a Mentors view

I have been a CILIP mentor for 6 years and have found it to be a very rewarding experience. I decided to become a Mentor because when I was a young 18 year old trainee I had a wonder Mentor myself. His name was Mr Sainsbury and he was the Deputy Borough Librarian. Unfortunately he died a few months after he retired and just after I qualified so he was not able to follow my subsequent career. His mentorship was unofficial (no CILIP Mentors in those days!). It came about because we always got to work early so we used to sort the newspapers and journals together (all supplied by a local newsagents). He was a very fatherly figure and took a keen interest in my career. He not only provided encouragement and made suggestions but was also able to transfer me to a variety of departments that ensured that I gained experience in all aspects of the public library service. He was a wonderful man and really gave me a good grounding in librarianship.

In recent years I have also been an unofficial mentor to a number of young librarians. I think that the environment that we now work in is changing so rapidly that if one is able to pass on information, encourage or support someone starting out in their career then I shall be doing good and giving something back to the profession that I love. Having someone who is genuinely interested in your career can make you fill a bit special and its great to be able to receive support and to talk through ideas. Mr Sainsbury was a kind, generous man who taught me a great deal. I am sure that he would be proud if I am able to do something similar for the next generation of librarians.