Creating Healthy Library Workplaces - by Jason Martin Hardcover

About the Book

Book Synopsis

This practical guide, written from different perspectives and applying to all library types, explains how to create healthy library workplaces.

While library work is often imbued with a strong sense of purpose and mission, it's still work-messy, rewarding, complicated. This book explores the five factors that influence both workplace engagement and job satisfaction for library workers:

- culture and work environment
- leadership
- workload
- recognition
- meaning

Learn how to critically examine these five factors and understand meaningful ways to positively implement them. The expert contributors to this volume represent many types of libraries and points of view, including BIPOC writers and those from other marginalized groups as well as librarians from small and large libraries, rural and urban libraries, and academic, public, and school libraries. This book is written for everyone in a library-leaders, librarians, and other staff can all contribute to making their library a better workplace. Readers will appreciate the hands-on guidance for improving not only the organizational functioning of the library, but the human functioning as well.

Review Quotes

"With fresh perspectives, rigorously researched insights and blending examples from both academic and public libraries, this book explores the challenges and opportunities facing libraries today. Whether confronting toxic work environments, workplace safety, stress and burnout, or striving to build a more equitable and energized team, the authors present a dynamic framework for creating supportive, inclusive, and resilient library cultures. Each chapter is thoroughly researched and annotated, providing a wealth of resources to explore further and strengthen understanding. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice, focusing on five factors to help build a healthier, engaging and more fulfilling library workplace wanted by all." --Phyllis Gorshe, Library Director, Dunedin Public Library, USA

"This collection provides practical and compelling examples to help make your library a healthy workplace. Straightforward and diverse, Martin's work is a welcome addition to the growing literature on a topic that organizations must address to be successful and keep their employees engaged." --Christopher Cox, Dean of Libraries, Clemson University, USA

"Editor Jason Martin, well-known to library workplace researchers, offers what is sure to become a core resource in this impressive book. The practical, solution-oriented focus of this collection means that readers will gain useful ideas and solutions for the issues they are dealing with, and since the authors come from many different library types, those solutions are applicable to a wide range of readers: leaders, librarians, and library staff alike. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in a reset of their relationship to their work in libraries, and to libraries themselves." --Ann Glusker, Social Sciences and Research Methods Librarian, University of California, Berkeley Library, USA

"This unique and timely work offers insights, learnings, and practical guidance for librarians, managers, and leaders. If you want to lead effectively and be an example for our profession, I highly recommend this work to leaders at all stages of their development!" --Jon Cawthorne, former Library Dean, West Virginia and Wayne State Universities, USA

About the Author