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The ABAA Women’s Initiative is proud to announce the launch of the ABAA Mentorship Program in an effort to further the ABAA’s mission to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade, to encourage the collecting and preservation of rare and antiquarian books and related materials, and to facilitate collegial relations within the trade. 

 

Goals 

  • Further the mission of the ABAA 
  • Provide dealers early in their careers with the opportunity to advance their professional development 
  • Build a recruitment pipeline for the Association that enhances the number of qualified applicants 
  • Advance the diversity of new members 
  • Afford mentees the opportunity to build a relationship with an ABAA member 
  • Educate potential candidates about a career in the trade (for example, graduate students looking for a profession outside of academia) 

 

Structure 
With the assistance of the Women’s Initiative, mentors and mentees will be paired with consideration of a variety of factors such as any specific requests, specialization/area of focus, and business structure. Location could also be a point of consideration but, with the availability of technology like Zoom/Skype, need not be a requirement. 


Once paired, mentors and mentees will commence a one year period of mentorship. Over the course of the year, mentors and mentees are required to have face to face communication for a minimum of 1-2 hours each month (this could be completed electronically). The schedule structure to meet this requirement will be determined by the pair.  We encourage mentees and mentors to meet at least once in person, public health advisories permitting, though this is not a requirement. An excellent opportunity for this meeting is at any of the ABAA Book Fairs. Mentees will be provided with complimentary passes to all ABAA Book Fairs.


Mentors and mentees are responsible for clearly outlining their goals and expectations for the relationship; however, mentors and mentees will be provided with guidelines that outline a number of suggested topics (for example, developing relationships with institutions, suggested resources, business accounting practices, etc.). Mentors will not be compensated; it is a voluntary position of service to the organization and the trade. 


At the end of the mentorship year, mentors and mentees will be required to submit feedback on their experience in the form of a brief written report. 


As recognition for participation in and completion of the program, both mentors and mentees will receive certificates. ABAA mentors will be recognized on the ABAA website. In addition, we will waive the ABAA application fee for mentees if, after completing the program, they apply within 2 years of eligibility for membership. 


APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES 

Requirements for Mentors 

• Minimum of 3 years as a Full ABAA or ILAB member; minimum of 5 years as an Associate ABAA member 

• Experience selling to multiple customer bases (to other businesses, private clients, and institutions)

• Preference in pairing may be given to those who have an additional specialized skill, such as conducting appraisals, business accounting, etc.
 

Requirements for Mentees 

• Minimum of 2 years in business on your own OR a minimum of 3 years working for another seller OR a minimum of 3 years working in a related field, such as a rare books and manuscripts library OR other evidence of interest and promise in the trade

• Letter of reference 

• Completion of ABAA Mentorship Program Application and Interview, which includes a demonstration of commitment to the field and to the length of the program 

 

APPLICATION PERIOD: February 23, 2022 - April 1, 2022 

MENTORSHIP PERIOD: May 1, 2022 -  May 1, 2023 

Applicants will be notified of selection in mid-April. 

Applications are now closed and will reopen in late 2022. 

 

Apply today as a MENTEE!*

Apply today as a MENTOR!

*Because this form requires supplementary materials, files will be uploaded to the form owner’s Google Drive. Respondents will be required to sign in to an email account hosted by Google to complete the application. If you do not have a Google-hosted login, you can create one here, or contact Eloisa Amezcua (eloisa@abaa.org) to apply via an alternative method.

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