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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.