Protégé Perspective
I had the pleasure of being mentored by Yoko Ferguson through the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Mentorship Program. Yoko is a librarian with over 15 years of experience, and is currently a cataloging librarian at the University of the District of Columbia. Throughout the mentorship program, Yoko provided me with guidance and coaching on a variety of topics. She assisted me to develop my professional goals and to create a plan to achieve them. She also gave me advice on how to network, how to prepare for job interviews, and how to negotiate salary. Yoko encouraged me to attend conferences, to participate in professional development activities, and to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in librarianship. She also helped me to develop my skills in research, writing, and presentation. Yoko helped me to develop my self-confidence and to build my professional network. She also encouraged me to be involved in the library community and to advocate for diversity and inclusion.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have been mentored by Yoko Ferguson. She is a wise and experienced librarian, and she has provided me with invaluable guidance and support. I am confident that the skills and knowledge that I have gained through the mentorship program will help me to succeed in my career as a librarian.
In addition to the professional development that I received, I also appreciated the opportunity to build a personal relationship with Yoko. She is a kind and compassionate person, and she has been a valuable source of support and encouragement. I am grateful for her friendship and mentorship. I would encourage any library student or new librarian to consider participating in the APALA mentorship program. It is an invaluable opportunity to learn from experienced librarians and to build a network of support.
Bio
Arai Greenwell-McAnsh is a passionate educator with 5 years experience in the classroom. She is currently a Media Coordinator Specialist at Emma Elementary School, in Asheville, North Carolina. There she is responsible for developing and implementing a K-4 library program.
Arai is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She is also a certified librarian and has a Master of Library Science degree from Appalachian State University where she was inducted into the Cratis D. Williams Society. Arai is also the recipient of the Primary Sources Teaching Fellowship from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Arai is committed to creating a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students. She believes that every child deserves access to a high-quality education, and she is committed to providing all students with the tools they need to succeed. Arai is also a strong advocate for equity and social justice education. She believes that all students, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. In her spare time, Arai enjoys camping, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.
Mentor Perspective
I joined APALA in 2020 and this was my third time participating in the Mentoring Program as a mentor and as a program committee member. This past program year, I truly enjoyed working with Arai Greenwell-McAnsh, a recent library school graduate. Being a mother of small children myself, trying to develop a successful career while keeping a healthy work and life balance, it was both inspiring and encouraging to see Arai strive to gain as much experience as she could while in school, all while wearing a hat as a mother of four. I’m happy that I was able to support her however I could and witness all the accomplishments she made during the program year. Thanks to this mentorship program, now I have a new colleague and friend who is pursuing a career as a school librarian.
Throughout the 10-month program, Arai and I met bi-weekly over Zoom. We kept our meeting notes on our shared document to keep track and share resources and ideas. Our meetings always started with checking in on each other and focused on activities and topics that needed immediate attention. Those included learning about different types of libraries and librarianships, reviewing and revising her CV and cover letters, and gaining hands-on experiences in cataloging and archives. Fortunately, being the head of the cataloging department, I was able to create a remote cataloging project to meet her needs and goals.
While I have previous mentoring experience with library school students and early career librarians, that was not through an established program like APALA’s. I have particularly enjoyed participating in the APALA Mentoring Program because it is well organized and structured to support both the participants and the committee members. Throughout the program, the committee liaisons would check in with each participant to ensure their mentoring relationships are going well and share useful resources. In addition, the program provides the opportunity to meet other amazing Asian and Pacific American library professionals with similar interests. As an immigrant from Japan, I’ve longed to connect with other APA colleagues for years and participating in the APALA Mentoring Program allowed me to connect with them and give back to the community to which I proudly belong. If you are interested in the program, please reach out to the mentoring program committee! It will be a wholly rewarding experience for both protégés and mentors.
Bio
Yoko Ferguson is the Cataloging and Metadata Librarian and Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia. She has over 15 years of cataloging and metadata librarian experience at academic institutions. Her professional and research interests include reparative cataloging and social justice in cataloging as well as mentorship and team/trust building in technical services. She enjoys cooking and eating something fun and relaxing with her family and cats.
Learn more about the APALA Mentoring Program here.