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LAUC-LA Handbook: Mentoring and Orientation

This guide provides information and background documents for LAUC-LA Committees to carry out their charges. For a committee’s charge and roster, click that committee tab and a drop-down menu will lead to the procedures and documents for each committee.

Committee Goals and General Charge

Goals

  • Provide opportunities for librarians, at different stages of their careers, to benefit from the perspective and experience of other librarians through formal or informal mentoring relationships
  • Foster collegiality through social events and networking opportunities
  • Promote a welcoming and supportive environment for newly hired librarians

 

General Charge

The Committee is charged with fulfilling its standing Charge as stated in Article VI. Section 14 of the LAUC-LA Bylaws:

  1. The Committee shall consist of 8 to 10 members.
  2. Chair-Elect of LAUC-LA shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Committee.
  3. The Committee shall match mentors with mentees in formal or informal partnerships.
  4. The Committee shall maintain new member orientation on the LAUC-LA website and the LAUC-LA Handbook as appropriate; and shall organize new member events with the LAUC-LA Chair and/or Executive Board.

Current Initiatives

Peer Review Mentoring Program

  • This program is designed to help newer UCLA librarians (mentees) successfully navigate the peer review process, by connecting them with mentor librarians who have already gone through that process.
  • In administering this program, the Committee will do the following:
    • Advertise the mentoring program, including during the Peer Review Documentation Workshop.
    • Follow up with matched mentors and mentees to see if they need any support or guidance and administer an assessment survey at the end of the program to gather programmatic feedback.
    • Take into account the recent survey feedback of mentoring program participants when planning the program the following year. 
  • The Committee has prepared detailed Guidelines that help mentors support their mentees through the peer review process.
  • Those interested in participating in the program can sign up with the 2023-2024 LAUC-LA Mentorship Program Sign-up Surveys for Mentees and Mentors.

Pilot General Mentoring Program

  • This pilot program was launched in 2023 to provide broader mentoring support to Library employees. With the help of more experienced LAUC-LA librarians as mentors, the goal of this program is to provide support for career growth and professional development. 
  • This year-long program is geared towards:
    • Librarians who are new to the profession
    • Librarians who are new to UCLA 
    • Staff pursuing or considering a career in librarianship 
  • The Committee has prepared a list of Guidelines for mentor/mentee participants (this document also includes some suggested topics to discuss when getting together).

Pilot Cohort Group Program

  • This pilot program was launched to foster a sense of community and support among newly-hired librarians as they navigate UCLA. By facilitating introductions, encouraging information sharing, and providing suggested activities, the program's goal is to help new hires feel welcomed, connected, and engaged from the outset.
  • This is a loosely structured program and activities will be decided by the cohort based on their interest and availability.
  • The Committee has prepared a list of Guidelines for cohort group participants (this document also includes some suggested activities and topics to discuss when getting together).
  • Those interested in participating in the program can sign up with the 2023-2024 LAUC-LA Cohort Program Sign-up Form.

Welcoming New UCLA Librarians

  • Develop and administer methods, programs, and events to welcome new librarians by helping them meet colleagues and orienting them to the policies, procedures, and general structure of the UCLA Library. These initiatives may include (but are not limited to) creating welcome email messages, hosting one-on-one meetings, staging events with library administration, and organizing general orientation events. 

 

Procedures, Notes, and Sample Communications

As of 2022, the Committee's current and historical working documents, procedures, guidelines, etc., are maintained in the Committee's Google Drive.

Roster

Sherry Leysen, Co-Chair (2024)

Brian Raphael, Co-Chair (2024)

Jeremy Whitt (2024 – also Statewide rep

Stacy R. Williams (2024) – also Statewide rep

Orchid Mazurkiewicz (2025)

Elyse Meyers (2025)

Alena Aissing (2025)

Shangching Huitzacua (2025)

Annette Doss (2025)

Katherine Kapsidelis, ex-officio (2024)

To contact any of these people, go to the LAUC-LA Members Directory or the UCLA Directory.

Archiving and Website Upkeep

Don't forget to archive your content!

At the end of the year, please evaluate the information on your LAUC-LA Handbook page. Any documentation that is no longer current but considered important to archive can be moved to the Historical Documents tab.

If you notice areas of the LAUC-LA website that are out of date, please email the webmaster with changes.