ILAB Launches Mentoring Program to Support Next Generation of the Antiquarian Book Trade
13 March 2017: Over the past few months, ILAB has developed a new International Mentoring Programme which aims to help young or recently launched booksellers throughout the world by offering support and counsel on a one to one basis. The ILAB International Mentoring Programme gives experienced booksellers the opportunity to lend a hand in the early days of a bookseller’s career, when help is likely most needed.
In this day and age communication between dealers across the world is easy and inexpensive. This has created an opportunity for the antiquarian trade to work together helping less experienced booksellers, wherever they may be located, to develop their businesses and become more confident and effective members of our trade, within a much shorter time than they might otherwise be able to without a mentor.
“We can now envisage such situations as a Dutch mentor supporting a young American bookseller, an American mentor helping a young Russian bookseller or an Australian mentor chatting regularly with their mentee in Malaysia. It is also just as likely that the mentor and mentee might be within the same country or city - there are far fewer limitations than there have ever been. This programme harnesses the enormous good will of our members worldwide to offer a truly extraordinary range of expertise in, as this is written, no less than 9 languages, to support less experienced booksellers where ever they may be.” says ILAB Vice-President and Mentoring Programme Coordinator Sally Burdon.
A comprehensive listing of mentors has been published on the Education section on the ILAB website, a diverse and impressive group of booksellers who reflect just some of the many different types of successful booksellers who comprise our trade. Prospective mentees are invited to visit the site.
All of the mentors involved in the ILAB International Mentor Program are drawn from ILAB ranks and are acting in a voluntary capacity. The mentees will not be required to make any payment for mentoring. The booksellers who are being mentored will not be named on the ILAB site. The mentees may or may not be current ILAB members although we do expect those seeking to be mentored to be serious about pursuing a career in the trade.
For information please contact the coordinators of the ILAB International Mentoring Programme: Sally Burdon (ILAB Vice President)
Stuart Bennett (ILAB Executive Committee)
Email: editor@ilab.org
Website Link: https://www.ilab.org/eng/education/Mentor_Programme.html
