Community Matters: Sustaining Yourself in Academic Librarianship

Posted on August 5, 2025 in Blog Posts

Authors:

Jamia Williams
An illustration of diverse colleagues collaborating and forming a professional community.

As I continue to attend meetings focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it has become clearer than ever that we need to show up for one another within our communities, especially for those of us who are deeply invested in DEI work. While it’s important to find community within your institution, it’s just as essential to build connections outside of it. The changes and challenges we face can affect us on many levels, mentally, physically, and spiritually. For those of us from historically marginalized communities, this work is not just a professional responsibility; it’s a fight for our very existence.

Finding and building community is crucial because it helps us navigate the complexities of DEI work while reminding us that we are not alone in this journey. Community provides a space to process challenges, share resources, and celebrate wins together, making it easier for us to sustain ourselves in work that can often feel heavy and isolating. In this blog post, I will explore why having a supportive community matters, how to find or build one, and what it looks like to care for one another while continuing the vital work of pushing for equity and inclusion.

Finding Community on Campus

Finding a DEI community within your institution can be a deeply rewarding experience, but it is not always easy. Start by seeking out affinity groups, employee resource groups, or campus initiatives such as the National Center for Institutional Diversity that connect people with shared goals and experiences. Participating in a community of practice is another powerful way to connect with colleagues who share a deep understanding of the unique challenges and joys of this work. If your campus is still hosting DEI conferences, workshops, and speaker series throughout the year, attending these is an excellent way to learn and make new connections. Building relationships within your department, attending cross-departmental events, or even starting informal gatherings such as book clubs on topics like antiracism or inclusive pedagogy can also create meaningful spaces for support and growth.

Finding Community Outside of Campus

Sometimes, the support you need might not exist within your institution, or you may want to broaden your perspective by connecting with others who do similar work elsewhere. Consider finding community within national professional organizations. Online groups, such as the forums on Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Additionally, social media is another way to connect with others, and LinkedIn appears to have gained momentum, allowing users to connect with mentors and friends far beyond campus. Many of these networks also offer resource libraries, toolkits, and opportunities for collaboration, which can help refresh your passion and inject new strategies into your daily work.

Building Community

Building community, whether on or off campus, is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort and care. Establishing trust, practicing empathetic listening, and creating open, welcoming spaces are foundational. Consider facilitating or joining community of practice networks that unite people with a shared commitment to equity and inclusion across different campuses. Hosting regular virtual meetups, discussion groups, or collaborating on civic engagement projects can deepen your sense of connection and multiply your collective impact. Be sure to connect with organizations that utilize the brave space framework, so you can learn how to navigate the conflicts that naturally arise within any community. This framework can guide you in addressing tensions with care and accountability, allowing you to move through challenges in ways that strengthen, rather than fracture, your community. This is a way to engage with each other. Above all, remember you are not alone in this work; across higher education, there are countless others committed to making campuses more just and compassionate places for all.

Each of these steps is an invitation to reach out, to connect, and to remember that the fight for DEI is always stronger when we work together. Although building community may take time and intentional effort, it remains one of the most powerful strategies for advancing meaningful DEI goals in higher education. When you are intentional about building a community, it can become a space where authentic dialogue can thrive, and it should be a space where all voices are heard. By doing this, you can solidify your importance within and outside your institution. Just remember Tressie McMillan Cottom’s wise words, “The institution cannot love you. Love is a people problem, and solving it begins with choosing yourself.” If you are already in community, keep building and shining together.

The resources listed below are not exhaustive; however, these books should help with understanding the power of community and the importance of building together. Fighting against American individualism is essential during this time of anti-DEI.

Resources

Headshot of Jamia Williams

About the author:

Jamia Williams (she/her) is a health sciences librarian. She is also the co-creator and co-host of the podcast LibVoices and the founder of The Diversity Fellow’s blog.

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Header image is a detail of This is Harlem by Jacob Lawrence. Courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. © 2021 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. For more information, click here.

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