285: Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers, with Bobbi L. Newman

Circulating Ideas

In this episode, Steve chats with Bobbi Newman, editor of Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers, about her path to librarianship, the importance of fostering a wellbeing-centric culture in libraries, and topics including vocational awe, emotional and invisible labor, the key role of communication, recognition and appreciation, addressing loneliness, fostering trust and connection, and tackling burnout and moral injury.

Read the transcript!

From this essential guide, managers will learn concrete steps for creating and maintaining a supportive, productive work environment that supports well-being among library staff.

Fostering well-being in today’s library workplaces is no longer a luxury but a necessity, particularly for managers tasked with guiding and supporting their teams. Amidst budget cuts, attempts to ban or restrict books, attacks on library staff online and in-person, and potentially hostile and aggressive patrons, taking care of ourselves and our staff by putting good policies and practices into place is more important than ever. In this book, Newman and her expert contributors will lead you through creating an environment that nurtures the health, satisfaction, and well-being of its workers and helps prevent or reduce the internal factors that create an unhealthy workplace. You will receive actionable advice on

• navigating the pitfalls of vocational awe, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and self-neglect;
• setting and recalibrating healthy boundaries;
• approaching difficult conversations by creating spaces for positive staff communication;
• overcoming limited budgets;
• the proper mindset for encouraging realistic performance expectations among employees;
• using recognition, appreciation, and staff professional development as tools for wellness;
• nurturing social connections and collaboration to combat loneliness;
• effective techniques for addressing sensitive issues such as disabilities, confronting anti-fat bias, and moral injury;
• emotional and invisible labor mitigation; and
• self-care methods for library leaders at risk of burnout.

Bobbi L. Newman (she/her) is a librarian, Certified Wellness Practitioner, and workplace well-being expert dedicated to helping libraries create environments where individuals feel empowered, supported, and free to bring their best selves to work. Bobbi specializes in evidence-based strategies to cultivate psychologically safe workplaces that foster trust, collaboration, and open communication. As a consultant, speaker, instructor, coach, and well-being advocate, her comprehensive approach includes workshops, keynote presentations, strategic consulting, and coaching to help organizations establish sustainable practices that reduce burnout, increase engagement, and ensure team members feel genuinely valued. She also writes about workplace well-being on her blog, Librarian by Day, and is a sought-after speaker at state, national, and international conferences.

SHOW NOTES:

Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers
Librarian By Day