When Leadership Falls Short: The Crisis of Care in Library Work
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Making Time to Reflect: Summer Reflection & Planning
Posted on July 8, 2025 in Blog Posts
Authors:
Jamia Williams
Summer can feel like a brief exhale in the academic calendar: projects slow down, the campus quiets, and there’s just a little more room to think. For many of us working in academic libraries, this season offers a rare opportunity to pause and reflect before the rush of the fall semester begins. While it can be easy to jump into planning mode or to catch up on delayed tasks, I also encourage you to carve out intentional time for reflection. Taking a moment to think about what worked, what challenged you, and how you grew professionally over the past year can set the tone for a more grounded and intentional start to the next semester. Building on a previous blog post I wrote about reflective practices, I want to revisit the topic with fresh reflections and deeper insights informed by recent experiences. This blog post includes reflective prompts and resources to help you develop or enhance your professional reflective practice.
What Is Reflective Practice?
In their piece for the March 2021 issue of the ILA Reporter, Kim Tipton and Cherie Watson write, “A reflective practice can take many forms, such as writing, drawing, using voice memos, and conversations with peers. Using any of these methods has great potential to elevate future performance.” In my own experience, I’ve learned that walking and processing my thoughts helps me reflect more clearly. It is an opportunity to let my thoughts flow without any hindrances. I’ve also discovered that I enjoy painting. It relaxes me and gives my mind a break. When I’m too tired to write, I enjoy making videos to capture my feelings in the moment.
However, you choose to reflect, it should feel natural and enjoyable. It doesn’t need to be polished or long—just honest. You might be surprised by what comes up when you give yourself permission to be still and intentional.
Professional Reflective Practice Prompts
If you’re not sure where to start, these prompts may help guide your reflection:
- In what ways have you felt overextended or depleted this year? What boundaries can you set to protect your energy in the semester ahead?
- What’s one small habit you can begin now to support your well-being and clarity throughout the academic year? (Think: five-minute journaling, end-of-week voice memos, silent walks.)
- Who has helped you feel professionally supported this year? Have you told them? Is there someone new you’d like to build community with?
- What do you want to feel more of outside work this year—curiosity, joy, alignment, rest, connection? What’s one step you can take toward cultivating that?
- What’s one thing you’re proud of that you haven’t celebrated yet? Even if it feels “small,” how can you honor it?
- Are there some tools you implement to help take better care of yourself? For instance, Google has an extension called “Break Time” that tells you to take a break. A colleague of mine told me about this great extension.
You don’t have to answer them all at once. Perhaps pick two or three and see what resonates with you.
Small Habits, Big Shifts
One thing I’ve learned is that reflection doesn’t have to take hours. A few minutes at the end of the week or even while on a walk can make a difference. It’s not about being perfect or performing. It’s about paying attention. Some weeks, I jot a few notes in my phone. Other weeks, I open my journal and write more deeply. Both are valid, and both count.
Looking Ahead
If you’ve been feeling pulled in every direction lately, you’re not alone. This season is a good time to pause and take stock. Even five minutes of reflection can spark a shift. I know it feels especially hard to make space for this right now, with so much going on in the world, particularly in higher education, where many of us are facing defunding or chronic underfunding. The weight of these challenges is real, and it can feel like there’s never a good time to slow down. But I’m asking you to do it anyway. We have a long road and a long fight ahead, and we need to be at our best: grounded, cared for, and clear-headed. Taking time for yourself is thus necessary.
As we finish the rest of the year, let’s take the time to set aside a moment to reflect, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, so that we are in alignment with our professional goals. Hopefully, this will lead to being more intentional. Below are some resources that should help with your reflection time. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list; however, these are great resources that have helped me understand the importance of creating a professional reflective practice.
Resources to Help with Your Reflective Practice
- “Reflecting Journaling: A Daily Practice” (2019) by Amanda M. Leftwich
- “Starting a Professional Reflection Practice” (2021) by Kim Tipton and Cherie Watson
- “Elevation through Reflection: Closing the Circle to Improve Librarianship” (2020) by Jolene M. Miller, Stephanie Friree Ford, and Anna Yang
- Becoming a Reflective Librarian and Teacher: Strategies for Mindful Academic Practice (2017) by Michelle Reale
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.