Huge thanks to everyone who emailed me about about finding a mentor.  Due to
the being swamped with emails I gave up replying individually.  I've
summarised for the list in case there are similar queries in the future.


My original message:

After attending a CDP seminar in December I began to look for a chartered
member to be a mentor.  Ideally I want to find someone who is employed by
RBS/Natwest due to confidentiality and so on.  I contacted CILIP to find out
if they have records of suitable members who work here but although they
keep records they are not allowed to give me this information because of
data protection and in any case are unable to filter the records on
'employer'.  I have contacted my HR department who appear not to keep
records of professional qualifications.  I thought I would go to some CILIPS
events and hopefully meet someone locally but there isn't a meet-up event
until the conference in June...!!  To add to the joy, I am completely
professionally isolated on a day to day basis.

So if anyone has an idea of how else I could find the right person (or *any*
person!) or even has a contact who they could introduce me to...  Please
indulge me.


The replies and some further thoughts of my own:

* Could CILIP contact a Chartered member with a request to contact a
registration candidate - thus getting around the data protection
regulations?  CILIP indicated that they could not filter their database by
employer, making it rather difficult to do this.

* Your alumni association may be able to forward your details to likely
contacts from their database.

* The CILIP Handbook has browsable information on all members.  Is perhaps
better to view in a library rather than to buy.

* Check whether your organisation has a "bulletin board" that you can post
your request to, perhaps through an intranet or public folders in Outlook
etc.

* CILIP's free document "Framework for Continuing Development" is a good way
to assess yourself if you do not have support.

* Post to likely online lists asking for volunteers and/or help, e.g.
LIS-LINK, LIS-CILIP, LIS-UKOLUG...

* CILIP run a mailing list for "solo" workers
http://www.la-hq.org.uk/lists/solo/ - send an email with subscribe solo
firstname lastname in the body to [log in to unmask] - and a
mailing list for "workplace librarians" (commerce, industry, government and
the voluntary sector) http://www.la-hq.org.uk/lists/workplace/ - send an
email with subscribe workplace firstname lastname in the body to
[log in to unmask]

* A mentor that is not from my place of work or even the same sector may be
a good thing in order to get an objective, "honest and valuable" point of
view.  Confidentiality is apparently guaranteed.

* A mentor does not necessarily have to be located nearby.  Use phone and /
or email instead.

* Check your employment contract for confidentiality issues.

* City Information Group http://www.cityinformation.org.uk/ are the closest
specialist group to banking / financial services but are quite
London-biased.  Aslib have a specialist group Aslib Economics and Business
Information Group (AEBIG).  Spending time going to events will help in
meeting people who will be able to help.

* Are other similar companies in the area employing similar staff?  Perhaps
form a new network.

* Register on Route B regardless.  You can change route and your plan at any
time.

* Ask for a sample copy of a PDPP from CILIP to help when writing one on
your own.


Claire Innes, Research Assistant
Cards Strategy and Planning
The Royal Bank of Scotland
* 0131 523 4213 (x24213)
* [log in to unmask]
* www.rbs.co.uk
* The Younger Building, PO Box 20000, 3 Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12
9RB


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