#hurrayoftheday: 78

Today we have a two-fer, both research related and speaking to the empowerment that I always hope and wish to come of my work.

First up,  this tweet about my low-morale work:

If you attended the #OLASC burnout session, I really encourage folks to look into the fantastic work that @Kaetrena has done on low morale in libraries. It definitely equipped me with the vocabulary I needed to identify and acknowledge certain issues https://t.co/SlViIIGBbe

— carol (@carolma46) February 4, 2021

Then,  LaJuan Pringle, a librarian at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library System (we also worked together on the Metrolina Library Association Board), shared with me a post he wrote on the rare joy of being – and working with – other Black male librarians. He cited my 2009 study of the history and career motivations for African American male librarians. 

These messages keep my spirits up and I’m very thankful to know that my current and past work makes a positive difference in a profession I care a great deal about.

#hurrayoftheday: 69

Last month I led the inaugural session of my course “Reimagining Workplace Empowerment,” which focuses on helping Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) working in libraries process their low-morale experiences. Soon after this course ended, protests catalyzed by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Toni McDade, and others at the hands of police began, and were heightened by the violent response by police on peaceful protesters. 

A student who took the course emailed, sharing, in part:

 I just wanted to let you know that your course … has been key in my getting through a dark time made worse by racial terror and police violence. Please take good care and know that your work has been an invaluable resource.

I am really grateful to hold this space for our BIPOC colleagues at this time in history.

#hurrayoftheday: 67

I recently finished the inaugural session of my Library Juice Academy course, “Reimagining Workplace Empowerment: Reducing Low Morale for Minority Librarians.“

Today I received an email from a student, which ended with this deeply moving statement:

“I want to thank you so much for this course. I’ve learned more than just information, I learned to be more brave.“

I’m grateful, and deeply moved and honored to see the title and purpose of this course fulfilled in real time in our profession.

 

Introducing: Reconnaissance

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new project called Reconnaissance, an interview series sharing Black, Indigeneous, and People of Color (BIPOC) librarians’ pathways to and experiences of formal leadership roles in North American libraries (and beyond). 

As I move through my LIS career, talk with BIPOC mentors, and comb through  my morale research data – I realize that BIPOC formal leaders have interesting experiences to share about the intersections of their identities, LIS practices, preparations for leadership, and more. Even more intriguing are the lessons and observations – both glaring and subtle – that they have learned and gleaned as they honed their leadership and management styles, created and implemented their organizational missions/visions, and applied decision-making processes. 

My hope is that the Reconnaissance series helps BIPOC library workers who are considering formal leadership roles gain wisdom from the experiences of those who are formally leading in all types of libraries, and that this wisdom will inform and improve the goals and practices of informal and formal BIPOC LIS leaders. More importantly, this series aims to continue recognizing the voices – and the often discounted and/or invisible work – of BIPOC in the LIS field.

Please look forward to it.

If you are a formal library leader who identifies as BIPOC – and you are interested in this project – please participate.

 

#hurrayoftheday: 54

I’ve developed a second low morale course centered on helping racial and ethnic minority librarians recover from low morale. The course, titled “Reimagining Workplace Empowerment: Reducing Low Morale for Minority Librarians,” will be offered on the Library Juice Academy platform, and the inaugural session is slated for May 2020.  Registration is now open.

 

#hurrayoftheday: 48

I just found out that my low morale study on racial/ethnic minority academic librarians (co-authored with Ione T. Damasco) has been published! Thanks to Emily Drabinski, Aliqae Geraci, and Roxanne Shirazi for their tight editing of this useful special issue on labor in academic libraries.

UPDATE: The article is now available online (paywall).