Purpose

The Wyoming Library Association implemented this mentoring program in order to assist all library staff to succeed in their library careers.  Mentors supplement the supervisors’ efforts and provide protégés with a personal relationship that allows for acculturating, encouraging new talent, sharing expertise and connections, and promoting professional growth.

Mentoring is a relationship between two people with the goal of growing professional knowledge, skills, and confidence. Mentors, sometimes called coaches, typically have years of practical experience and professional knowledge that they share with less experienced counterparts, called mentees or protégés. Because Wyoming libraries participate in a shared ILS consortia, even experienced library staff members new to the state will benefit from participating in the Wyoming Library Mentor Program.

LEAD members facilitated the development of this program in 2020. The purpose of LEAD is to administer this program, involving the taking and reviewing of applicants, partnering mentors and proteges together, and assessing the mentoring relationship at least twice during a 12-month period. More details can be found within the mentorship application and materials.

WLA Mentorship Program Application