Conference or Event

National Diversity in Libraries Conference

Document Type

Conference or Event

Date

2016

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this research project is to highlight the benefits of peer mentoring as an ongoing resource for career advancement and retention among alumni of the Association of Research Libraries’ Career Enhancement Program (CEP) and Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW) program. We define peer mentoring as informal mentoring that happens between individuals to promote career success. This project is in response to “White Librarianship in Blackface: Diversity Initiatives in LIS” in which one of Hathcock’s criticisms of current diversity initiatives is the focus on increasing numbers without addressing long-term retention.

Methodology: The project was conducted through two methods. It included an online survey with questions related to demographics, work status, and relationships with CEP/IRDW peers, and structured interviews with questions related to CEP/IRDW experiences and peer mentoring relationships. There were 33 survey responses and 14 interview participants. The phenomenology method was used to identify peer mentoring themes in interview responses. This project was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Institutional Review Board.

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