Mentoring Health Science Library Students: Practices and Perceptions From the NNLM Region 4

The paper describes how the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 4 mentors graduate students who are preparing for careers in health sciences librarianship. It explains that Region 4—which includes nine states in the western U.S.—uses both formal and informal approaches to mentoring, guiding students through real-world projects such as proximity mapping and initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The authors emphasize that protégés are expected to collaborate closely with mentors and produce a scholarly work that can be published or presented professionally.

The article situates this work within the broader mission of the NNLM, which is to promote equitable access to health information across the United States. It also includes a literature review summarizing the competencies needed in health sciences librarianship and discusses how mentorship can bridge professional preparation gaps, reduce misconceptions about the field, and counter imposter phenomenon among emerging professionals. Through references to earlier studies, the authors highlight that many practitioners enter the field by accident and that few library programs offer a dedicated health sciences track, making mentorship especially valuable for building confidence, skills, and pathways into this underrepresented specialty.

This resource is supported by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UG4LM013732. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.