MentorNJ: Linking Library Staff Statewide

Led by the New Jersey Library Leadership Academy and funded by the New Jersey State Library and LibraryLinkNJ, The New Jersey Library Cooperative, MentorNJ was launched in March 2015 to serve as a gateway to librarians and library paraprofessionals new to the profession or the state. The Goal of this service is to promote a sense of professional pride and connectedness among the New Jersey Library Community and to expand roles for library professionals now and in the future.

MentorNJ has built a mentor network, both virtual and in-person, available to all library staff. It also creates an environment that supports and promotes effective resource-sharing and successful collaboration in the New Jersey library community.

How can I participate?

MentorNJ is for everyone! Our mission is to strengthen relationships across the New Jersey library community and to provide an avenue for collegial collaboration and support.

Explore valuable resources for those new to the profession and the state:
MentorNJ - A virtual guide to NJ Libraries provides information on consortia, local professional organizations and groups, links to New Jersey libraries’ online resources, and a guide to listservs and online forums.

It also provides a directory of mentors that currently lists eighty-six New Jersey library professionals and paraprofessionals who have volunteered to share their experience and knowledge with any library colleaague, especially those new to the field, who could benefit from professional advice and guidance. With an outstanding list of mentors to choose from (including library directors, archivists, school librarians, university librarians and emerging technologies librarians), students and those new to the profession have the opportunity to learn from those in the top of their field.

The directory also includes mentors who are participating in our Job Shadowing Programs! It is a great opportunity to learn more about real-life librarianship and to become acquainted with librarians across the State of New Jersey. MentorNJ makes it easy to connect to a professional who can provide relevant, useful information to help as you grow in your career.

To search for a mentor in your area of interest, simply peruse the Mentors’ Directory and reach out to one of our many mentors.

Share your experience and knowledge with other colleagues:
Be a mentor! MentorNJ invites our NJ library colleagues -- at all professional levels, and from all types of libraries -- to participate as a mentor. Please find more information on how you can participate as a mentor: http://librarylinknj.org/mentornj/guidelines

Please meet our New Jersey mentors and get inspired! Be a mentor or mentee, and be a part of this high-powered network!

Network with other colleagues and celebrate our profession:
Part of the MentorNJ service includes hosting webinars and in-person networking events. MentorNJ has provided webinars that have brought great opportunities for practical professional development for library staff, and our annual face-to-face networking events have brought library staff in the State together for a day dedicated exclusively to networking and celebrating the profession.

Please find our upcoming and past programs and events at our Programs and Events page!

And check out our upcoming small meet-ups that are scheduled around the State of New Jersey. We encourage library staff in NJ to organize and participate in small local meet-up sessions on a variety of themes.

Striving for More

This project requires statewide collaboration among library organizations and the participation of library professionals and paraprofessionals in leadership roles. The primary target audiences are library staff in New Jersey, but it also includes any library staff who can benefit from the project resources and services.

The goal of MentorNJ is not only to make connections among librarians and library staff stronger, but by doing so, to make our libraries stronger. Connection and collaboration among librarians and library staff are key to making libraries thrive. This connectedness serves as a platform for sharing ideas and forming collaborations all with the philosophy of superior customer service in mind.

Please contact us if you have any questions, and thank you for your consideration!

MentorNJ Task Force

Since 2015

MentorNJ - Linking Library Staff Statewide,
a joint statewide service funded by the New Jersey State Library & LibraryLinkNJ