I really enjoy mentoring for CILIP. I'm not the type of professional who wants to write in journals or attend lots of committee meetings but I like supporting those on the route to Chartership etc with all the different things they might want to investigate. It keeps me on my toes and makes make me look at professional issues outside of the academic sector. The role itself is fairly easy going as you are there to support the chartership candidate - they have to make the effort to do the work. You are not there to crack the whip but to act as a sounding board, to offer advice, put them in contact with other professionals, help them produce the final document, encourage them to think about all the things they might want to investigate/try out in order to make them aware of the multitude of professional issues/roles involved in librarianship. As well as supporting the candidates with their professional development it's great for my own professional development. I meet other librarians, visit other libraries I might not normally visit and find out about services that run elsewhere. I have to admit that sometimes the keen nature and inquiring minds of my mentees make me feel a little inadequate - you can certainly spot future leaders!
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