Getting traction for mentoring online is always difficult, but what about starting that mentorship at code4libcon? Maybe almost like a buddy system, so that the first meeting between a mentor and mentee is at a code4libcon (national, regional, or otherwise) if possible. This might simply be a good idea for first timers who are not going with colleagues too. Just throwing out some ideas here... On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 7:49 PM, Nick Ruest <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Matt McCollow proposed something like this a while back. We have a page up > and everything! But, it never got much traction. > > http:[log in to unmask] > http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/Mentorship > > -nruest > > On 12-11-27 07:30 PM, Bess Sadler wrote: >> >> +1 to this idea. I have benefited tremendously over the years from kind >> people taking me under their wings. Many of us try to do this one-on-one, >> but some kind of introduction service would be a huge benefit for the >> community, I would think. >> >> Mentorship is a great example of a robust solution - a solution that >> addresses more than one problem at once. I suspect that this would not only >> improve our diversity as a community, it might also solve some tech >> leadership / succession planning problems and maybe expose some training >> needs. >> >> Bess >> >> On Nov 27, 2012, at 4:20 PM, Nathan Tallman <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >>> This is a slightly different topic, but relates to Kelley's post: Does >>> code4lib have a mentor program where more inexperienced geeks can pair up >>> with someone to guide their development? I don't have anyone like that in >>> my network, but would really like to. I don't mean to discount the >>> existing >>> resources on code4lib or this list, which both have been very useful. I'm >>> sure I could just start by attending some of the conferences, but for >>> more >>> inexperienced people they can be a bit intimidating, albeit inspiring. >>> >>> It would also be a way to directly engage minorities. >>> >>> Just a thought. >>> >>> Nathan >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 6:20 PM, Kelley McGrath <[log in to unmask]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I'll second the idea of approaching people individually and explicitly >>>> asking them to participate. It worked on me. I never would have written >>>> my >>>> first article for the Code4Lib Journal or become a member of the >>>> editorial >>>> committee if someone hadn't encouraged me individually (Thanks >>>> Jonathan!). >>>> >>>> It would also be good to find a way to somehow target the pool of >>>> lurkers >>>> who maybe aren't already connected to someone and get them more >>>> involved. >>>> >>>> As far as anonymous proposals go, we recently had a very good workshop >>>> on >>>> implicit bias here. Someone brought up that found significant changes in >>>> the gender proportions in symphony orchestras after candidates started >>>> auditioning behind screens. There are also lots of studies about the >>>> different responses to the same resume/application depending on whether >>>> a >>>> stereotypically male/female or white/black name was used. Probably it's >>>> impossible to make proposals completely anonymous, but it would be an >>>> interesting experiment to leave off the names. >>>> >>>> Kelley >>>> >>>> PS Interestingly, I wouldn't instinctively self-identify as a member of >>>> the Code4Lib community, although my first thought is that that has more >>>> to >>>> do with not being a coder than with being a woman. >>>> >>>> >>>> ************************** >>>> Kelley McGrath >>>> Metadata Management Librarian >>>> University of Oregon Libraries >>>> 1299 University of Oregon >>>> Eugene, OR 97403 >>>> >>>> 541-346-8232 >>>> [log in to unmask] >>>> > > -- > -nruest