Addressing incivility as a mid-career librarian: How to advocate for a bully-free library


Book chapter


Megan Palmer, Rachel Keiko Stark, Maggie Albro, Jenessa McElfresh
Brandon K. West, Elizabeth Galoozis, Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, & Pathways, ACRL, 2023, pp. 203-216

Cite

Cite

APA   Click to copy
Palmer, M., Stark, R. K., Albro, M., & McElfresh, J. (2023). Addressing incivility as a mid-career librarian: How to advocate for a bully-free library. In B. K. West & E. Galoozis (Eds.), Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, & Pathways (pp. 203–216). ACRL.


Chicago/Turabian   Click to copy
Palmer, Megan, Rachel Keiko Stark, Maggie Albro, and Jenessa McElfresh. “Addressing Incivility as a Mid-Career Librarian: How to Advocate for a Bully-Free Library.” In Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, &Amp; Pathways, edited by Brandon K. West and Elizabeth Galoozis, 203–216. ACRL, 2023.


MLA   Click to copy
Palmer, Megan, et al. “Addressing Incivility as a Mid-Career Librarian: How to Advocate for a Bully-Free Library.” Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, &Amp; Pathways, edited by Brandon K. West and Elizabeth Galoozis, ACRL, 2023, pp. 203–16.


BibTeX   Click to copy

@inbook{palmer2023a,
  title = {Addressing incivility as a mid-career librarian: How to advocate for a bully-free library},
  year = {2023},
  pages = {203-216},
  publisher = {ACRL},
  author = {Palmer, Megan and Stark, Rachel Keiko and Albro, Maggie and McElfresh, Jenessa},
  editor = {West, Brandon K. and Galoozis, Elizabeth},
  booktitle = {Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, & Pathways}
}

Mid-career librarians are in a unique position to combat incivility and bullying, particularly mid-career librarians who have been at the same institution for a number of years. Mid-career librarians can be defined as “a person working in libraries between eight and 15 years and has worked for their current employer for over five years”. As they progress into their careers, they can move into supervisory or administrative positions, but not all do. However, they can still be leaders with or without any managerial responsibilities. This unique, informal, leadership position allows them to mentor new librarians, mediate conflict resolution, and foster a toxic-free work environment. Being employed at the same library for several years enables them to understand the function of the library within the context of the university, and the various work ecosystems on campus. This time allows mid-career librarians to make connections not only within the library system, but also across the university. When new librarians start at their library, seasoned librarians are able to help them navigate the often-complex cultures and systems within the library and university. This mentorship is key to creating a collegial and supportive work environment. As a mentor, you can be an empathetic listener and help your mentee navigate conflict when it arises. Give them the power to self-advocate, but also be able or willing to step in and mediate when or if possible. Fostering this support network empowers new librarians and ultimately leads to a better future in the field of librarianship.