Fostering Growth: Building Strong Mentor-Mentee Relationships in Libraries
March 24 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
This interactive session explores the power of mentorship through multiple lenses, offering practical strategies, reflective insights, and hands-on activities to help you build meaningful and intentional mentor-mentee relationships.Whether you’re new to the profession or a seasoned leader, you’ll walk away with tools, inspiration, and clarity to reflect on these two questions: “Am I ready to be a mentor?” and “Am I ready to be mentored?”Come ready to learn, connect, and grow. NAAL members will receive Credly badging. About the speakers:Dr. Shannon D. Jones (she/her) is the Director of Libraries and Chair, Academic Affairs Faculty for the Medical University of South Carolina Libraries. She is also Director of Region 2 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. A long-time Medical Library Association volunteer, Shannon has served in many roles, including as the 2022-2023 MLA President. During her term as MLA President, Shannon launched the Be Well MLA initiative to motivate members to focus on their wellness and well-being. In 2018, Shannon co-founded the MLA Reads Virtual Book Discussion Club to provide a forum for participants to learn, discuss, and reflect on the implications of various DEI topics in their work as information professionals and in their personal lives. Shannon is the co-editor of Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success and Cultural Humility in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success. Her educational background includes an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Charleston Southern University, an M.Ed. in Adult Learning with a concentration in Human Resources Development from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Master of Library Science from North Carolina Central University.Tamara M. Nelson is the Director of Library User Experience & Engagement at the Medical University of South Carolina Libraries. In this role, she leads initiatives that prioritize user-centered design, assessment, and engagement, fostering meaningful connections between the library and its diverse communities. She is actively involved in building and sustaining communities of practice that support collaboration, professional growth, and shared learning among library professionals.