New Library World

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of mentoring and its benefits and to discuss informal mentoring, mentoring for librarians of color, and cross-race mentoring.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a literature review and administered informal focus groups and interviews.

Findings – Mentors can help mentees set goals and develop skills to reach these goals over time. Informal mentoring allows a mentees the opportunity to choose his or her own mentor through a personal relationship or social network, and can be a method for success for librarians of color. Librarians of color are more likely to be successful in their professional careers if they have a mentor. Cross-race mentoring is most beneficial to all parties when it is undertaken with knowledge of best practices and sensitivity to cultural concerns.

Originality/value – This article addresses the identification of good mentors, best practices, and what mentors need to know. In addition, the article explores in-depth mentoring for librarians of color and addresses issues related to cross-race mentoring, as well as keys to success. The benefits of mentoring for librarians of color is rarely discussed in the professional literature – this article offers concrete best practices for mentors and mentees to ensure that librarians of color have successful mentoring relationships.