LAUC-LA Handbook: Procedures

• Contact the Chair of the LAUC Programs Committee and check the LAUC-LA Calendar in this LibGuide before finalizing the date of any mentoring-related event to ensure that there are no other LAUC-LA events on the same day. 

Instructions and workflow for processing submitted applications.

Mentoring Application Procedures

Last Updated 08/30/17

 

Frequency:

Mentors and mentees are matched on a quarterly basis. A call for applications goes out one month ahead of the deadline to All Library Staff, and a second call is sent out closer to the deadline.

Matching:

The Mentoring Committee meets shortly after the application deadline to pair up mentors and mentees. Mentees will not be paired with their direct supervisor. The Committee tries to match mentors and mentees with the greatest number of similarities on their applications. 

Notification:

Once pairs are matched an e-mail is sent from a member of the Committee to the mentee with the name of their mentor. At this time the mentee is given the option to request another mentor. Once the mentee approves of the match an e-mail is sent to the mentor.          

Mentor Pairing Notification e-mail to the Mentee:

The LAUC-LA Mentoring Committee has convened and completed matching for [insert name of season] Quarter. You have been matched with [insert mentor name and library unit]. 

The committee takes matching for mentors and mentees quite seriously. Matching criteria used were based upon [insert mentor’s name] interests and yours in: [insert specifics]. If for any reason you are not comfortable with the match, please notify us. There is an extremely high level of confidentiality so there is no need to feel ambivalent about requesting another mentor should the need arise. 

Please respond to this email; once you have accepted a pairing, we will notify your mentor and provide contact information. 

Mentor Pairing Notification e-mail to the Mentor:

The LAUC-LA Mentoring Committee has convened and completed matching for [insert name of season] Quarter.  You have been matched with [insert mentee name and library unit]. 

The committee takes matching for mentors and mentees quite seriously.  Matching criteria used were based upon [insert mentee’s name] interests and yours in: [insert specifics].  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time.   

Mentee:
Name
Library Unit
Phone number
e-mail

Please get in touch with your mentee soon.  [Include invitation to any upcoming mentoring events]. 

Thank you for taking part in the LAUC-LA mentoring program!

**If an acknowledgement is not received within a reasonable amount of time, it’s a good idea to follow up and make sure the match information was received.

If a mentee submits an application requesting a mentor who did not submit an application, or if the best match for a mentee would be with someone who did not submit an application, it may be necessary to contact the potential mentor first to see if she/he would be willing to serve as a mentor. In order to maintain confidentiality, the mentee’s personal information should not be given to the potential mentor until after the match is made. 

E-mail request sent to a potential mentor:

Hello [insert name], 

I am writing on behalf of the LAUC-LA Committee on Mentoring to see if you would be willing to serve as a mentor to a fellow UCLA librarian. The librarian is interested in receiving mentoring in [insert various common interests / areas where the mentee indicated she/he wanted guidance], and we thought that you would be a good fit. Could you please let me know by [insert date in the future] if you are interested?

Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions.

If the person agrees to serve as a mentor, follow the normal notification procedure listed at the beginning of the section.

Records Management:

Mentee applications will be destroyed after mentor/mentee matches are created. Mentor applications will be retained if the applicant has given us prior authorization to do so. Any remaining mentor applications will be held over to the next quarter and given priority to be matched with new mentee applicants. A list of Mentoring Matches will be maintained to keep track of the names of the mentors, mentees, and the date they were paired. NO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT BY THE MENTORING COMMITTEE UNLESS WE HAVE RECEIVED PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.

Assessment:

1. Application: At the beginning of the term, the Mentoring Committee will review the application and assess if any changes need to be made to the format or content.
    
2. Matches: A survey was previously created on SurveyMonkey.com for mentors and mentees to provide insight to strengths and weaknesses in the mentorship program with the intention that the survey be distributed once a year to mentors and mentees who had been matched more than 6 months prior. This information (survey and results) has been lost and the committee needs to reassess if they would like to continue this practice.

Mentoring Website Procedures

Submit all needed edits to the LAUC-LA Webmaster for posting.

At the Beginning of the LAUC Year

• Update the roster.
• Evaluate the goals to see if they are still relevant or in need of updating.
• Evaluate other information in the body of the homepage, in the left-hand margin of the page, and in any other location within the entire site (e.g. “What’s new?”; “What Is Mentoring?”; Committee Charge, etc.). Determine whether:
• The current content should be edited or deleted
• Any new content needs to be added
• All the links are working properly
• Make sure the “LAUC-LA Ad Hoc Committee on Mentoring” link on the LAUC Divisional Information Clearinghouse page (http://www.ucop.edu/lauc/clearinghouse/) still leads to the LAUC-LA Committee on Mentoring's homepage. 

Throughout the Year

• Make sure the most current version of the brochure is posted on the LAUC-LA homepage, ideally, before the Fall Membership Meeting. 

Social Event Planning Procedures

Organize events like happy hours, coffee breaks, or other gatherings that support the Committee's goal of "foster[ing] collegiality through social events and networking opportunities."

Frequency:

Ideally, plan an event, once per quarter in conjunction with the matching of mentoring partners. If possible, time the event within several weeks after the partners are matched so they can attend the event as one of their first activities. The weeks before, during, and after finals are times that might generate the greatest participation.

Scheduling Conflicts:

Avoid scheduling conflicts with other LAUC events. Check the LAUC-LA Handbook calendar to make sure that there are no other LAUC events scheduled during the desired timeslot

Notification:

Once a date has been finalized:

• Send a message to the LAUC-LA listserv four weeks in advance of the event. (This was requested from the LAUC-LA membership.) Send at least one follow-up reminder a day or two before the event.
• Ideally, send personalized invitations to newer librarians and mentoring pairs, encouraging them to attend. [Obtain the names from the person(s) maintaining the list of new librarians and the person(s) keeping track of mentoring partnerships, if such lists are not already accessible from a centralized location.]

Planning:

• For off-campus venues that require reservations, request that attendees RSVP. (Optionally, request RSVPs for on-campus events that don’t require reservations.)
• Have blank labels on-hand for attendees to write their names. For events involving RSVP’s, have name tags prepared in advance and provide additional blank labels for surprise guests.
• Keep a count of the number of attendees for statistics and assessment towards the end of the LAUC year.

LAUC-LA Brochure Procedures

Frequency:

Update the LAUC-LA brochure at least once a year to keep the text current, to add new photos, or to make other needed updates. Review the brochure's contents, design, layout, etc. at the beginning of the LAUC year to identify needed changes. Ideally, have the revision finalized before the Fall Membership meeting.

Notification:

Once revision of the brochure is complete:

• Request that the Webmaster replace the older version posted on the LAUC-LA Home page with the newly revised version.
• Notify the LAUC-LA membership of the new version via the listserv and/or during the LAUC-LA Fall membership meeting.

Explore other avenues for dissemination:

• Distribute print copies of the brochures at mentoring events or other LAUC events
• Distribute print copies of the brochures to newly hired librarians (in-person, via campus mail, etc.).
• Work with LHR to have copies printed off for inclusion in orientation packets typically distributed to newly hired librarians.

Update the Pics

Take pictures at LAUC events and save for possible inclusion in subsequent versions of the brochure.

• Consider designating an "official" photographer for the Committee to take and maintain the pictures.
• Alternatively, consider creating a space (such as a photo sharing site) so that any group member can take pictures and upload them for inclusion in the brochure.