Mentor an MLIS student!

The student-led iSTAMP (Student-to-Alumni-Mentorship Program) pairs students earning their Master of Library and Information Science degrees with professionals in the field.

Our application period for this academic year has closed. 

iSTAMP Overview

iSTAMP is an opportunity to form meaningful connections between students and alumni to support personal and professional growth in the library and information science field, focusing on more than just specific career goals. Each alumni-student pair meets monthly from October through May.

To qualify as a mentor, alumni must have spent at least two years working in the field since graduating from the University of Washington MLIS program. There is no need to be located in the Seattle area, as pairs can meet online, via phone, or in person. Applicants will be alerted of their matches or thanked for their interest by the start of October. 

iSTAMP is specific to MLIS students and alumni. The iMentorship program offers mentorship opportunities for students in the iSchool’s Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Master of Science in Information Management programs. 

iSTAMP Panel 2023

We hosted a panel of previous iSTAMP mentors and mentees who discussed their experiences in the program and shared advice with potential applicants this August. The panel can be accessed here.

Mentorship agreement

When applicants are matched with each other, they are asked to fill out a mentorship agreement to establish expectations with each other for the duration of the program. Below is the text version of the current mentorship agreement. 

[iSTAMP 2024-25 Agreement Text]

What will be asked of me on the application?

We ask a variety of questions of both our potential mentors and mentees with the goal of providing the best possible match in terms of career goals, identity, networking needs, and more.

The identity factors we consider are gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, and first generation/non-traditional student status. This allows us to focus on serving MLIS students and alumni from communities historically underrepresented within our field. If an applicant would like another factor to be considered, they are more than welcome to include it on the application.

We divide the MLIS field into the following categories to make it easier to match based on career experiences and interests. We acknowledge this does not display the full breadth of the MLIS field or potential overlaps between categories, so applicants are also welcome to clarify their experiences or interests further on in the application.

• Academic Librarianship (University or Community College): Work primarily serves students, faculty, staff, and/or alumni of any academic institution (private, public, two-year, four-year, etc.)
• Adult & Young Adult Librarianship (Public): Work primarily serves teenagers and adults within the public library’s service area
• Children's Librarianship (Public): Work primarily serves children in the public library’s service area
• School Librarianship (K - 12): Work primarily serves the students of a K-12 school or district
• Special Librarianship (Government, Non-Profit, Corporate): Work primarily serves the employees of a specific organization or government agency
• Special Collections & Rare Books: Work primarily features the acquisition, organization, and care for special collections and rare items
• Archival Librarianship: Work primarily features the preservation of information objects, both physical and digital
• Acquisitions & Collection Development: Work primarily features the analysis and development of an institution’s collection(s), including acquisitions, weeding, and other activities
• Cataloging & Taxonomy: Work primarily features the organization of an institution’s collection(s)
• Data Curation: Work primarily features the care for and organization of an institution’s data
• Knowledge Management/Information Management: Work primarily features the management and distribution of information for an institution
• User Experience (UX) & Outreach: Work primarily features ensuring an institution’s communication materials and public-facing tools meet the needs of its audience

Frequently asked questions

• What is the goal of iSTAMP?
  • We aim to provide meaningful opportunities for professional development between MLIS students and alumni while promoting University of Washington’s goals for student retention and the iSchool’s commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Sovereignty (IDEAS).
• What are the benefits to participants?
  • Mentorship benefits both the mentor and mentee by allowing each to learn from each other’s experiences, exchange ideas, contemplate current issues in the field, help one another to grow professionally, further develop interpersonal skills, and share advice on career opportunities. Mentorship allows students to receive both academic and real-world career guidance from those already in their respective fields, and mentors are 6 times more likely to get promotions compared to those without mentees. Previous iSTAMP mentors expressed that their relationships with their mentees exceeded their expectations and shared appreciation for their mentees’ curiosity, insights and professionalism. Previous mentees said their conversations and relationships with their mentors exceeded their expectations. Many expressed their appreciation for their mentors' knowledge of the field, support, advice, and incorporation of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Sovereignty (IDEAS) values into discussion.
• Who would I be mentoring?
  • Our program supports the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program residential, online, and law students.
• Will training be provided?
  • We provide two options for training materials at the start of the program, based on level of detail preferences. In addition, we provide monthly emails which include a suggested meeting prompt and mentorship tips through the duration of the program.
• What is the time commitment?
  • Mentors and mentees are expected to meet for one-on-one meetings once per month from October through May. Meetings typically last about one hour, but length can vary based on mentor-mentee needs.
• I don’t live in the Seattle area. Can I still apply?
  • Absolutely! We support mentors and mentees regardless of location.
• I graduated from the Law Librarianship track. Can I still apply?
  • Yes! We are expanding the iSTAMP program this year to include law track students/alumni and students/alumni with interest and experience in law librarianship.
• Are mentor/mentee meetings remote or in person?
  • Mentor/mentee pairs decide this based on their locations, schedules, and personal preferences. Pairs located far apart may choose to meet at professional conferences if they want to meet in person but cannot do so on a monthly basis.
• How are mentors and mentees paired together?
  • Faculty sponsor Helene Williams and the student iSTAMP coordinators arrange the iSTAMP pairings prior to each academic year by reviewing the application documents. Matches are made based on needs and preferences expressed by both alumni and students. If you have questions, please reach out to istamp@uw.edu.

Become a Mentor

Our application period has closed. To apply for future opportunities, fill out this survey by clicking here or scanning the QR code below. 

If you have questions, please reach out to the student iSTAMP coordinators at istamp@uw.edu .