“Viewed as Equals”: The Impacts of Library Organizational Cultures and Management on Library Staff Morale

Glusker, Ann; Emmelhainz, Celia; Estrada, Natàlia; Dyess, Bonita

doi:10.1080/01930826.2022.2026119

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…O'Neill and Kelley's (2021) study of crisis communication in academic libraries uncovered significant "hesitancy or reluctance to communicate bad news, especially for those crises that may present a more significant negative impact on a library's reputation" (p. 321). While nonlibrarian staff are outside the scope of our study, Glusker et al (2022) found that intralibrary communication issues may be even worse for non-librarian staff, who perceive many communications as being only directed at librarians. Finally, Ettarh's (2018, "Introduction," para.…”

Section: Library Value and Imagementioning

confidence: 80%

“…These frontline workers often had less job security and fewer mechanisms to voice displeasure or objection to policies or working conditions. Glusker et al (2022) found in their interviews with academic library support staff that the librarian-staff divide had a high impact on their study participants, second only to the relationship with their direct supervisor. However, while the staff surveyed in Glusker's (2022) study pointed to ill-treatment by or lack of advocacy from librarians as a primary cause of low morale, about half of our study participants expressed explicit concern in our interviews for those staff who they felt were more vulnerable both in terms of health risk and job security, and many of these participants took additional actions, such as letter-writing or advocacy to library administration, to try to ensure they felt supported.…”

Section: Collegial Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Relationships of Care”: Care and Meaning in Canadian Academic Librarian Work during COVID-19

Paterson

Eva

2022

Partnership

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In March and April 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews with academic librarians from across Canada about their experiences working through COVID-19 thus far. Topics included workload, collegiality, and overall satisfaction with their working conditions during a pandemic. Themes emerged around job scurity, meaningful work, workload shifts, working from home, relationships with colleagues and administrators, and hopes for the future. While individual experiences varied greatly, the biggest uniting factor was the care and deliberation that characterized both our participants’ framing of work that was meaningful to them as well as their ideal relationships with colleagues and administrators. This research connects to previous literature on vocational awe and emotional labour in libraries. For librarians, this study connects isolated individual situations with the overall picture of what our work looked and felt like during the COVID-19 pandemic. For library administrators, we have identified some general trends, which can provide insight in the areas of communication, flexibility, and institutional support as we work toward a post-pandemic new normal.

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Section: Library Value and Imagementioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Collegial Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Relationships of Care”: Care and Meaning in Canadian Academic Librarian Work during COVID-19

Paterson

Eva

2022

Partnership

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“…There were moments when conversations about our work revealed the insecurity felt in working jobs that were part-time, paraprofessional or otherwise challenging to our health or wellness. Our conversations regularly returned to the relationship in libraries between paraprofessional and professional staff and the feelings and experiences of individuals resulting from this hierarchy (Glusker et al, 2021). This constructed stratification is not race-based but is a felt reality of library work that is upheld by the idea of merit and distances librarians (the privileged) from the needs of the collective (Bignoli et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a group that is committed to valuing diversity, individuals need to commit to speaking regularly, demonstrating the individual appreciation for their own perspective and their commitment to the group. This may be challenging for individuals whose identity is marginalized in the institutional context, such as with paraprofessional library staff (Glusker et al, 2022), and so this can be a sticking point in developing an inclusive culture. Glusker et al (2022) find that providing opportunities for peer collaboration between professional and Decentering whiteness in libraries paraprofessional staff improves morale (p. 177), but it is also an opportunity to turn to relationships as a site of healing .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decentering whiteness in libraries: relational work for an inclusive culture

Denke,

Cunningham

2023

RSR

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PurposeThe purpose of this article is to share a year-long initiative of a predominantly white liberal arts college library that fostered relationality and inclusive culture through an understanding and critique of White Supremacy Culture.Design/methodology/approachThis case study presents the development and implementation of a library-wide reading group to discuss Okun's (2021) White Supremacy Culture Characteristics through relational meetings (Chambers, 2003). Relational-cultural theory provided a guiding framework for implementation of relational meetings in the context of conversations about race.FindingsAfter participation in the reading group, participants reported their ability to identify characteristics of White Supremacy Culture in their lives and a greater preparedness to participate in work related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The authors suggest vulnerability, consideration of power and privilege and observations of White Supremacy Culture within the local context frequently occurred in the reading group conversations.Research limitations/implicationsThis work operates as an opportunity for library staff to learn about White Supremacy Culture in a way that helps to undermine white privilege and, therefore, holds similar aims to anti-racist affinity work (Michael and Conger, 2009). However, the library staff only has one person of color and, therefore, the authors cannot speak to engaging a more racially diverse staff. The authors include reflections on how their racial identities impact their engagement in this work.Originality/valueAttention to White Supremacy and white privilege is, according to Gulati-Partee and Potapchuk (2014), an overlooked part of diversity, equity and inclusion work. This case study demonstrates a path toward inclusive culture that focuses on the identification of White Supremacy Culture Characteristics (Okun, 2021) in the authors’ local context and provides rationale for utilizing relational meetings (Chambers, 2003) to emphasize individual and collective reflection.

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“…Of note is that, partly in response to university pandemic austerity measures, Northwestern University's library workers announced their unionization with SEIU Local 73, which has been recognized by the university. 18,19 Low morale continues to be an area of concern in librarianship, 20,21 particularly for librarians of color, nonlibrarian staff, 22 and members of underrepresented groups. Stress from caretaking responsibilities for workers who lost childcare or other forms of support during the pandemic has exacerbated issues of esprit de corps and well-being in the workplace.…”

Section: Library Staffing Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Top trends in academic libraries: A review of the trends and issues

2022

CRLN

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This article summarizes trending topics in academic librarianship from the past two years-a time of tremendous upheaval and change, including a global pandemic, difficult reflections concerning racial justice, and war between nation states. Rapid changes and uncertainty from these events have created a significant amount of shifts to academic libraries, higher education, and society in general. Such shifts have yielded new perspectives and innovations in how librarians approach delivering services, supporting student success, managing staff and physical spaces, embracing new technology, and managing data. This report attempts to provide a snapshot of developments worth noting. COVID-related trendsThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic library services has been significant, and these changes, in many cases, are ongoing. The issues identified below transcend the period covered by this review as libraries face a fundamental shift that will extend far into the future and beyond the pandemic. In early 2020, nearly all academic 1 and public 2 libraries closed temporarily and shifted towards virtual services. Despite in-person closures, libraries continued online services, 3 kept their communities informed, 4 and adopted innovative collaborations 5 and technologies to adapt to changing circumstances. These closures and the institutional changes that enabled them had a significant and diverse impact on librarianship, including rethinking long-held paradigms, 6 increased professional stress around institutional budgets, 7 and the ability to work remotely. 8 The pandemic also surfaced long-standing issues of inequality 9 and inaccessibility 10 in libraries. Despite the challenges raised by closures, libraries continued to deliver core services and creative solutions, including virtual reference with increasing complexity, 11 a renewed focus on digital literacy with the rise in online learning, 12 and born-digital collection development. 13 2021-22 ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee Top trends in academic libraries A review of the trends and issues 2021-22 ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee: Alex McAllister (chair) is associate professor and coordinator of Collection Management, Appalachian State University Libraries, email:

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“Viewed as Equals”: The Impacts of Library Organizational Cultures and Management on Library Staff Morale

Cited by 18 publications

References 37 publications

“Relationships of Care”: Care and Meaning in Canadian Academic Librarian Work during COVID-19

“Relationships of Care”: Care and Meaning in Canadian Academic Librarian Work during COVID-19

Decentering whiteness in libraries: relational work for an inclusive culture

Top trends in academic libraries: A review of the trends and issues

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