Mentoring: a valuable tool for career development

Looks at the role a mentor can play in the career development of librarians and information professionals. It uses research carried out in 1995‐96 as the basis for its focus on the value of mentoring as a career development tool for individuals. Follows a brief discussion of the nature of mentoring and the changing patterns of career development, by presentation and discussion of the research findings. Concludes with a summary of some draft guidelines on mentoring which summarize research findings on effective ways of initiating and maintaining a mentoring relationship.