Strengthening ACRL Through Practical, Purposeful Mentoring

Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to help people feel connected and confident in a professional association. As I run for ACRL Vice President/President-Elect, a central part of my platform is improving and expanding mentoring across ACRL so that all members—whether new to the association or long established—can find meaningful pathways to participate, contribute, and grow.

Many colleagues tell me that joining ACRL can feel overwhelming at first. The association is vibrant and active, but its structure can be complex. New members often struggle to understand how sections, committees, interest groups, and discussion forums relate to one another—or how to get involved in ways that match their strengths and goals.

At the same time, experienced and tenured librarians often want to stay connected to ACRL, but are looking for engagement opportunities that go beyond committee service. They want to contribute in flexible, meaningful ways that draw on their experience without requiring multi-year commitments.

Mentoring can help both groups.

Why Mentoring Matters for ACRL’s Future

1. Helping new members navigate the association

A well-organized mentoring system gives new members:

• a clearer understanding of ACRL’s structure and opportunities

• guidance on how to choose a section or community

• support in finding their place within the association

• a trusted colleague who can help them make sense of the landscape

This strengthens member retention by reducing confusion and helping people feel that ACRL is accessible, not overwhelming.

2. Providing meaningful roles for seasoned members

Experienced librarians hold a wealth of institutional knowledge about the profession and about ACRL. Mentoring offers them:

• a flexible way to stay involved

• the ability to make a direct impact

• opportunities to support colleagues without long-term committee commitments

• a sense of purpose and connection to the association

Many tenured librarians want to remain engaged but prefer short, relationship-based opportunities rather than additional administrative service. Mentoring meets that need.

3. Preparing future association leaders

ACRL thrives when members understand not just the profession, but the association itself. Mentoring gives rising leaders:

• insight into how ACRL works

• opportunities to learn from colleagues’ experiences

• a pathway into leadership roles when they’re ready

This creates a stronger, more informed leadership pipeline.

A Practical Path Forward: A Coordinated ACRL Mentoring Network

Across ACRL, several sections already run excellent mentoring programs. The challenge is that these programs operate independently, each with its own structure, expectations, and capacity. Many members don’t even know they exist.

A coordinated ACRL-wide mentoring network would:

• support, not replace, existing section programs

• ensure consistent onboarding for mentors and mentees

• help new members identify which community fits their interests

• offer experienced members flexible, impactful roles

• create short- and long-term mentoring options

• support identity-based and topic-based mentoring

• simplify access so any interested member can participate

This approach would make ACRL more navigable, more welcoming, and more sustainable.

Supporting Members Across Career Stages

If elected ACRL Vice President/President-Elect, I will work to develop mentoring pathways that support both new and established members:

For new members

• Orientation-focused mentoring

• Help navigating ACRL’s structure and opportunities

• Clear guidance on how to get involved

For mid-career members

• Mentoring circles

• Short-term project-based mentoring

• Support for transitioning into new professional roles

For tenured and senior members

• Flexible, relationship-focused ways to stay engaged

• Opportunities to mentor across sections and interest groups

• Ways to contribute expertise without long-term commitments

A More Accessible and Connected ACRL

My goal is simple:
Make ACRL easier to navigate for new members, and more meaningful to stay involved in for experienced members.

Mentoring is a practical, achievable way to accomplish both.