ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Job Shadow Day 2000: A commitment to the future

by Margot Sutton

About the author

Margot Sutton is ACRL professional development assistant, e-mail: msutton@ala.org

On Wednesday, February 2, 2000, one million students across America will discover how academic skills acquired in the classroom can be put into action in the workplace. These junior highand high schoolage students will participate in the third annual National Groundhog Job Shadow Day (JSD), an event that partners students with workplace mentors for an up-close look careers.

ACRL is joining forces with ALA divisions and associations across America in support of Job Shadow Day, and encourages academic and research librarians to become involved. ACRL needs volunteers from academic and research libraries to serve as workplace coordinators and workplace mentors.

By participating in JSD, your institution’s team can introduce young people to the profession of librarianship and help them understand what academic and research librarians do.

You can help young people make the connection between academics and careers, which will make their classroom work seem more relevant. Additionally, you can encourage partnerships between your institution and local young people and build an ongoing relationship with the community you serve.

Everyone benefits

Job shadowing is a win-win situation for all involved.

For young people,job shadowing provides a firsthand view of librarianship and other professions; demonstrates the importance of academics in reaching college and career goals; and develops motivation by demonstrating the tangible applications of classroom lessons.

For the library profession,job shadowing helps prepare the future workforce; highlights career possibilities in the library profession; and provides an opportunity to deepen understanding and appreciation for the work librarians do.

For library mentors,job shadowing creates a feeling of personal satisfaction that comes from mentoring a young person; offers a chance to share knowledge and skills; and could lead to a long-term mentoring relationship.

Getting involved

Participating in JSD is an easy and rewarding experience. Getting involved will only take a few hours of your time. Here’s what you have to do.

• If you are an employer/director:encourage employees to become mentors; designate an employee to coordinate your library’s participation; provide support to the effort; and write press announcements to your institution and local press about your participation in JSD.

• If you are a library coordinator(an individual who oversees the logistics of your institution’s involvement in JSD): act as the link between all program partners; work with schools to identify interested young people; provide your library’s staff with descriptions of participating young people and their interest; develop and distribute guidelines for staff participation; and prepare a brief report and submit it to ACRL upon the completion of JSD.

• If you are a mentor:review materials and make plans in preparation for the day; set aside part of your day to concentrate on your “shadow” and remain available to that student during the visit; demonstrate and explain effective work methods; and help your “shadow” understand skills and academics needed for your career field.

Interested? Let us hear from you. Complete the form below and submit it to ACRL by January 5, 2000. ■