Mentoring programs are a common and extremely beneficial offering in numerous settings, including academic libraries. Given their almost ubiquitous nature, these programs can occasionally become unintentionally outdated while still being successful at serving their core functions. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Kaleidoscope Program, in which mentoring is a core component, underwent a full review process of all aspects of its program. This chapter presents this review as a case study that demonstrates a series of approaches that resulted in providing revitalization to the program while building on and respecting the program's more than two decades of history and successes. Using mentoring as a lens, the authors outline the broader review process that included numerous administrative updates and changes to the implementation of program components. This context is critical as a key lesson learned focuses on the importance of systemic change.

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Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of mentoring and its benefits and to discuss informal mentoring, mentoring for librarians of color, and cross‐race mentoring. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a literature review and administered informal focus groups and interviews. Findings – Mentors can help mentees set goals and develop skills to reach these goals over time. Informal mentoring allows a mentees the opportunity to choose his or her own mentor through a personal relationship or social network, and can be a method for success for librarians of color. Librarians of color are more likely to be successful in their professional careers if they have a mentor. Cross‐race mentoring is most beneficial to all parties when it is undertaken with knowledge of best practices and sensitivity to cultural concerns. Originality/value – This article addresses the identification of good mentors, best practices, and what mentors need to know. In addition, the article explores in‐depth mentoring for librarians of color and addresses issues related to cross‐race mentoring, as well as keys to success. The benefits of mentoring for librarians of color is rarely discussed in the professional literature – this article offers concrete best practices for mentors and mentees to ensure that librarians of color have successful mentoring relationships.