Cataloging with Confidence

Mentoring to Support Cataloger Growth

Abstract

Mentorship provides opportunities for both novice and experienced catalogers to develop their skills and learn what it means to catalog in a cooperative environment. Often libraries do not have the resources to provide specialized training for the new cataloger, making a formal mentorship program outside one’s institution particularly useful. This paper will examine key elements that ensure a successful mentorship pairing, how the authors integrated these components into practice, and how the authors customized their program to address the mentee’s greatest area of need: finding practical solutions to both common and challenging serials cataloging questions.