OLA's mentor services


MentoringOLA is a year-round program to get concrete career information to our members no matter who they may be or where they are in their career. In this Super Conference, there is a stream of programs sponsored by the planners and they welcome you to these sessions.

NEW DIRECTIONS
Two large projects are being launched at Super Conference:

  • Mentoring Database that will make it easier for you to find mentors and for them to find you.
  • A new national career centre in which you will eventually be able to see all library positions available from coast-to-coast.
  • A new roundtable session just to let you ask questions about our workplaces.

RETURNING PROGRAMS
Returning Super Conference programs that might be useful in getting you the information for which you are looking are:

  • Résumé critiquing. A perennially popular service provided by interested practitioners.
  • The Super Conference mentor program. This is largely aimed at delegates looking for insight into on-the-job expectations and the priorities on which administrators are currently focused.
  • One-on-one career advice from expert, Caitlin Williams. This service is aimed at those librarians already working including those looking for advice on making a change.

These services involve necessarily short-term relationships but they may get you started. You will get out of it what you put into it. Knowing what you want and being able to articulate this up front will help to ensure that your expectations are understood. The mentors, as well as Caitlin Williams, in this time-limited program are persons with position and experience, persons interested and sympathetic to your needs. The secret is to listen and to be political.

GET A MENTOR. BE A MENTOR.
When registering (either on-line or printed program registration form) just check the appropriate box to ask for a mentor or to request a 20-minute interview with Caitlin. The deadline for requests is January 6, 2006.

If you want to be a mentor, e-mail MentoringOLA co-chair Anne Murphy at anne.murphy@mississauga.ca

Want to help steer this exciting new project? Contact us at mentoringOLA@accessola.com