MENTORING: The UJ Law Library Story.

MENTORING:
The UJ Law Library Story.

DEFINITIONS
The Oxford English Dictionary defines mentor as:
”a person who acts as guide and adviser to another person, especially one who is younger and less experienced”.

The Three C's of Mentorship
Role 1: Consultant.
Role 2: Counsellor.
Role 3: Cheerleader.
Source: https://yecommunity.com/ar/blog/how-mentors-bring-advice-to-mentorship

Mentoring = relationship
between two or more people that is
both reciprocal and collaborative by nature
that will lead to a shared
responsibility and accountability
between mentor and mentee
as they move toward well-articulated goals.
Zachary, L.J. (2005). Creating a mentoring culture: The organization’s guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Role model Source: Success Stream
+ supporter
+ teacher
+ advisor
+ coach

BENEFITS OF MENTORING

Mentor Mentee
 Organisation

Life cycle of mentoring in the Law Library

 August/September
 2019
 Advertisements and
 Submissions of
 Applications
 End March 2020: October 2019:
 COVID-19 Interviews

 March 2020:
 All assistants fully End November /
integrated in duties December 2019:
 English for Law Planning
 training

 February 2020:
 Shifts start – Juniors
 paired with seniors January: 2020
 and then
 independently In-service Training
 1st year training
 sessions

End March 2020:
 COVID-19 The building and floor is closed but the library not!

 Law Librarians working remotely Law Library assistants working remotely

 Source: Shutterstock

 Resilience and re-invention

 Teamwork - working together towards same goal under new circumstances: service provision to our clients

End March 2020:
 COVID-19

 Law
 Law Librarians
 Library
 Mentor
 Law
 Library
 Assistant
 s

 What do we have?
 Strong competent team, willing to embrace the
 new normal and work remotely, but side by side

End March 2020:
 COVID-19 What do we have?
 Online tools already in existence

 Improve:
 Make it more user friendly
 Add more to Reputable
 Revamp:
 Links tab
 Add new tabs –
 Contact us during lockdown
 Available Online Libguides
 for: COVID-19 tab
 1st year support; Research Support tab
 Senior student support
 Postgraduate Support;
 Faculty Support

March
 March- August
 - August
2020:
 2020:
 COVID-19
 COVID-19

 Blackboard Online Excel
 New ways of
 Communities: worklogs for
 contacting us:
 Law Librarians LLA’s: Senior
 Team
 and Law Law Library
 suggestions
 Mentor Assistant

 New Inventions

March - August
 EXAMPLES OF NEW INVENTIONS TO ASSIST WITH ONLINE TEACHING
2020: COVID-19

Online Interventions during COVID-19
March - August
2020: COVID-19
 Planning Libguides
 of online updated and Whole team involved
 revamped
 support

 Law Library Assistants
 under supervision of law
 Lists updated
 Tutorials
 library mentor with developed
 support from law librarians

 Online Blackboard Law Librarians with help of
 Communities law library mentor
 trainings

 Involvement We don’t
 Research Methodology in three
 Moot Court academic
 know what
 courses on the future Involvement
 English for Law
 Blackboard holds… of entire
 team

Now we are at the end of the cycle and have to start afresh but………. No need for new appointments ☺ ☺

 August: 2020
 Advertisements
 Zeenat K: Yes I would love to return to the library for the year 2021.

 Michele: "Hi Zee! I'm applying for
Christy: "Good morning Z, I would love to return to the library next year. Without a masters so I'll defs apply at the library
doubt especially since covid robbed us of an opportunity to spend time quality
time in the law library".
 again for next year ❤️".

 Kwanele: "I think I will return next year. I would love to".
 Lovemore: "Hi Zeenat. I have no intentions of going anywhere. I'm happy with
 you guys".

 Lizanne: "I would like to apply next year for the library again ". Sabrina: "Hey Zee, as it
 stands I will be returning to
 Felicity: "Good morning Zee, l am well thank you. Yes l will be the library".
 returning to the library next year".
 Zeena M: "I've been applying for my articles, haven't heard anything
 Neo: "Good morning Zeenat, it is of my best wish and yet. But I won't be studying next year, so I probably won't be
 aspiration to return to the library as I really love working returning"..."I definitely won't be studying next year, I really need to
 start working first."
 there, it will be a great honor working the again next Zeena M appreciates her experience with us this year, and is grateful.
 year"..."I really appreciate the offer, please send my regards
 to Mrs V1 and V2".
 Zahra has decided that she will not return to the Law Library for the year 2021. She is thankful for the years that she spent with us in the library.

What have we learnt?

Beginning Middle End
 phase phase phase

 Self- confidence

 Supervision
 Self development
 and initiative
Thorough in-service Mentor and
and ongoing training senior mentees
 vital
 Recognition of the
 whole person
 Mentor
 Communication
 Broader
 understanding of
 Mentor and mentees library environment
 Mentees

George Bizos:
 “George played an enormous role in mentoring many in the legal profession inside and outside
 the LRC, some of whom have progressed to very senior positions in the profession and the judiciary. ”

 Interviewer: “George, one of the pleasures of interviewing people in South Africa certainly, has been the
 remarkable stories you get about the LRC and people in the LRC, and I had the pleasure of interviewing
 for example, Imraan Haffejee this morning and Achmed Mayet yesterday, and other people, and they’ve all told
 me about the wonderful role you played as a mentor to them. And I’m wondering in a sense what that has meant
 to you in terms of having done this kind of public interest law work for such a long time, and then getting relatively,
 perhaps, inexperienced or young people from different race groups, cultural groups, different – as you know
 under South Africa, under apartheid – levels of education...and working with them that closely in the LRC?”

 Bizos: “They may lack experience but they are enthusiastic. I’m computer illiterate and they’re not.
14 November 1927 – 9 September 2020
 And they actually get things out. I do training sessions with them from time to time and they are very appreciative
 of the guidance and experience that I ...but you know, I have never claimed to have done anything alone. I have
 always been part of a team. And I give credit for that, because the Odyssey to Freedom I dedicated to all those
 who allowed me to walk with them. Because there are many.”
 Source: LRC Oral History Project Interview 1: 4th December 2007 Interview 2: 28th July 2008 Interview 3: 3rd August 2008

 Achmat Dangor
 Mr Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation on the death of the
 writer Achmat Dangor: “Achmat was very special to me. It is true to say that this
 has been one of the saddest and heaviest days of my professional life. He saw
 something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I guess that’s what a mentor does. ” 2 October 1948 – 6 September 2020
 Source: Sello Hatang, Achmat Dangor: The Nation loses a great and gentle soul. Daily Maverick 7 September 2020