Protege Perspective: Jade Dean
I enrolled in the MLIS program at San Jose State University to facilitate a career transition. Starting over in a new field is intimidating, and I wanted to find a profession that married my love of community service with my career aspirations. I applied to this mentorship program hoping to find someone that could understand how my professional experience and personal goals fit into the LIS field. I feel so fortunate to have been selected for this program and paired with Azeem.
In our first meeting, we discussed our past experiences in mentorship programs (both good and bad!) and how we wanted to shape our time together. Of the many goals we set, we wanted to keep our discussions candid and constructive. We have had wonderful conversations about career development, professional goals, and the LIS job market in Los Angeles. I am interested in leadership roles in libraries, and Azeem has been so open to sharing how his career led him to become the Interim Library Director at Whittier College. Besides giving advice and listening, Azeem has become a great friend. We have been able to connect in-person, virtually, and even participate in a meetup with the Southern California Chapter of APALA.
Participating in this program has become an invaluable part of my MLIS journey, and I would encourage others to apply as mentors and proteges. APALA is the first professional organization I have become an active participant in, and I appreciate how supportive and involved the members are within the organization and the profession. I hope to return to this program as a mentor in the future to help support the next generation of librarians.
Mentor Perspective: Azeem Khan
I embarked on the mentorship program shortly after being appointed the Interim Director at Whittier College. Even though I was new to the role and had only graduated from my MLIS program in 2016, I felt compelled to apply. I understood firsthand the value of mentorship for someone stepping into this field, which can often be daunting and frustrating. Having had a few mentors early in my career who were instrumental in my development as a librarian, I wanted to provide that same support and guidance.
The guidance provided by APALA to develop clear goals and expectations was invaluable during those early meetings. These resources served as a launching point for our interactions and could be revisited as needed. Over time, a natural flow developed in our communications, allowing us to share and help each other with specific projects, discuss ongoing opportunities and challenges, and support each other. Our pairing aligned nicely, especially since Jade shared that her career goal was to enter library leadership.
I am grateful to join the APALA mentorship program. Jade has been a wonderful protege over the past year. We developed a deeply enriching and supportive partnership that has helped us grow both as librarians and as individuals. Recently, we even submitted a chapter proposal for a book that explores our journey and the valuable lessons learned from the APALA mentorship program.
This mentorship program has inspired me to get more involved with APALA and continue supporting this wonderful organization. I highly recommend that both potential mentors and mentees apply for this program.
Bio:
Jade Dean is an avid volunteer at libraries in the Los Angeles area and is currently at the Long Beach Public Library and Palos Verdes Library District. She is pursuing her MLIS degree at San Jose State University (SJSU) and will be graduating in Fall 2024. Jade serves as the Vice Chair for the American Library Association Student Chapter, which was recently awarded the Student Chapter of the Year Award. She was also selected to participate in SJSU’s iSchool’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Symposium as a Student Spotlight and has previously presented at the College of Professional and Global Education Online Student Conference. She is interested in working in a public or academic library and is using her remaining time in the program to explore career pathways and grow her professional network. Jade enjoys concerts, dancing, botanical gardens, swimming, running, and nurturing her creative practice through workshops and play.
Bio:
Azeem M. Khan has been the Interim Library Director at Whittier College since June of 2023. He worked as the Research & Instructional Librarian at Whittier College from fall of 2018 and was promoted to Associate Library Director before becoming Interim Library Director.
During his time at the college, Azeem developed two single-credit library research courses, led the library’s workshop program, created online instructional material for students and faculty, supported Open Education Resources (OER) initiatives, served for two years on the Inclusion & Diversity Committee (IDC), and acted as the Library liaison to a number of academic departments, offering subject-specific instruction and student support.
Prior to his time at Whittier, Azeem worked as a reference librarian and instructor at Los Angeles City College, Harbor College, Los Angeles Southwest College and Claremont School of Theology.
In addition to his master’s in Library and Information Science, Azeem has a master’s in Religious Studies from Starr King School for the Ministry at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, with a focus in South Asian folk religion and mysticism, Sufism and material culture.
He has presented at conferences including the American Academy of Religion, the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii- Manoa, and The American Theological Library Association.
Azeem was recently admitted to Harvard University’s Library Leadership program for the summer of 2024 and was voted as a Member-at-Large for APALA.