When Leadership Falls Short: The Crisis of Care in Library Work
Posted on in Blog Posts
Mental Health Check When DEI Is Under Attack
Posted on April 14, 2026 in Blog Posts
Authors:
Jamia Williams
Academic librarianship has long been connected to ideas of access, equity, and intellectual freedom. For many of us, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work is not an added responsibility but a natural extension of these core values, whether we are building inclusive collections, supporting marginalized students, or advocating for equitable access to information. Yet, as attacks on DEI initiatives across higher education intensify, the weight of this work can take a real emotional toll. The current climate asks us to navigate not only professional challenges, but also deeply personal ones. In this blog post, I reflect on how we can care for ourselves in the midst of this moment. I explore why community is more essential than ever, how being strategic about our engagement, including taking necessary breaks, is an act of self-preservation, and I share resources that can support you in accessing the professional care you may need.
The Importance of Community
One of the most important protective factors during challenging professional climates is community. DEI work in libraries cannot and should not be done in isolation. Too often, a small number of librarians carry the responsibility for advancing equity initiatives across an entire library. When the work becomes siloed, those individuals can experience burnout, frustration, and professional isolation. This type of work is often uncompensated and invisible, and it can be underappreciated. Many marginalized librarians engage in DEI work because it is how we can survive within these institutions. For most of us, this has never been simply a trend or a badge indicating that one is a good person. It has been a way of moving from surviving to thriving.
In the book Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World (Without a Bullhorn) (2023), Omkari L. Williams writes, “It’s in community that we can find power: the power that comes from working with others to achieve a shared goal.” Building community can help redistribute that weight. This may look like informal peer groups within your library where colleagues discuss challenges and share strategies. It might involve connecting with professional networks through organizations such as the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), affinity groups for librarians of color, or online communities like theUrban Librarians Unite, which has the Library Worker Support Network. These spaces can provide something that institutional environments sometimes lack: validation, shared experience, and collective problem-solving.
Taking Breaks Is Not Giving Up
In Micro Activism, Williams reminds us that engaging in this work requires intentionality. We must have a plan for how we show up, one that includes self-care practices and recognizes when it’s necessary to step back. Taking a break is not a failure of commitment; it is part of sustaining the work. When collaboration is done well, the responsibility does not rest on one person alone. Others can step in, step up, and carry the work forward, allowing space for rest and renewal. In advocacy work, there can be an unspoken pressure to stay constantly engaged. But sustained engagement without rest can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion. Taking breaks from DEI work, whether temporarily stepping back from conversations, limiting exposure to news cycles, or rotating responsibilities within a team, is not abandonment. It is preservation. Rest creates space for reflection and recovery. It allows librarians to return to the work with clarity and intention rather than depletion. In professions centered on helping others, it can be easy to forget that we deserve the same care we extend to our communities.
Being Strategic About Engagement
In Micro Activism, Williams introduces four archetypes that help individuals understand how they can engage in meaningful, sustainable change: the Producer, the Indispensable, the Organizer, and the Headliner. These archetypes can help you engage with DEI work during this time. To discover your archetype, you can take the Activist Archetype Quiz. Williams also provides resources for supporting each one. Below are descriptions of each archetype from the book.
- The Indispensable: You are one of the many people working in the background to make change.
- The Producer: You create the schedule and make sure that nothing falls through the cracks.
- The Organizer: You keep things on schedule and address the various assignments.
- The Headliner: You are the face of the movement, the person who inspires those who seek the same change you do.
Another important reality is that not everyone has the same level of institutional protection. Some librarians may feel comfortable speaking publicly or leading initiatives, while others, particularly early-career professionals, contingent employees, or those in precarious positions, may need to engage more cautiously. Being strategic about how you participate in DEI work is a reality that affects people in different ways. It is an acknowledgment of the structural realities within higher education. For some, advocacy may happen through committee work or curriculum development. For others, it may take the form of mentorship, quiet coalition building, or supporting colleagues behind the scenes. Protecting your livelihood and supporting your loved ones are real considerations. Thoughtful engagement recognizes that sustaining a career in librarianship can also be part of sustaining the long-term work of equity.
Finding Mental Health Support
Professional support systems are important, but sometimes additional mental health care is needed. Therapy can provide a space to process stress, anxiety, and the emotional weight of professional responsibilities. For many people, finding a therapist who understands their cultural background or identity can make a meaningful difference. Some communities offer free therapy, and some employers have programs like the employee assistance program (EAP) that provide counseling services.
The list below, while not exhaustive, includes several directories that can help academic librarians locate therapists who provide culturally responsive care:
Resources
- Therapy for Black Girls – A directory connecting Black women with therapists and mental health resources.
- Black Female Therapists – A national directory of Black women mental health professionals.
- Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation – A directory of mental health providers and programs serving the African American community.
- Latinx Therapy – A therapist directory and mental health resource hub for Latinx communities.
- Inclusive Therapists – A directory focused on social justice–oriented therapists who serve marginalized communities.
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) – A healing justice organization connecting queer and trans people of color with mental health resources.
- Psychology Today Therapist Finder – A widely used therapist directory that lets users filter by specialty, identity, and insurance.
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.