Mentoring: A Tool for Career Development in Academic Libraries

Every organisation have new intake of junior staff and senior staff to achieve a common organizational goals. The new intakes need to be shown what it takes to have a successful career. The senior (mentors), need to assist, direct and counsel the junior (mentees) working under them to grow and advance in the job. Mentoring is a tool in career development and advancement of library staff it gives individuals the opportunity to be mentored in order to develop their career and makes them feel like they are valued by the organization. This makes the mentees to be more involved in the job for effective and efficient performance .This study examines the roles of mentors and mentees, on how mentors promote and improve mentees job performance for career development and advancement. The study also focus on the approaches to mentorship. In conclusion mentors need the right environment to carry on their role of mentoring to the mentees on both research writing and their job duties to achieve the desired goals of the library.Mentoring increases confidence and motivation of librarians and help in the career development advancement within the library. It was recommended among others that mentoring tools should be well defined fit in handling mentees for attainment of optimal educational and objectives aimed at learner,s behavioural change .Mentoring programme that are very specific to the needs especially to the career development needs should be put in place