DEIA News Round-Up: August 2026
Posted on in Blog Posts
When Leadership Falls Short: The Crisis of Care in Library Work
Posted on September 1, 2026 in Blog Posts
Authors:
Alejandro Marquez
Like many of my library colleagues, I’ve found this year has felt…heavy. Working in a higher education environment, particularly now, can feel like wading through a relentless stream of depressing news, budget cuts, censorship concerns, and strategic crises. It’s not a dramatic, explosive kind of heaviness, but an endless stream of bad things, each one subtly eroding the foundations of what I believed was a stable and valued profession.
Academic library workers aren’t just reading about these bad things; they are actively living through experiencing, communicating, and responding to them. The constant barrage of negative information, coupled with the inherent demands of librarianship, can trigger burnout, anxiety, and a feeling of helplessness. It’s completely reasonable, and frankly, increasingly common, to feel overwhelmed and depleted. The warning signs, such as years of budget cuts and chronic overwork, were already present long before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the pandemic pushed those shaky foundations to their breaking point. When everything came crashing down, it gave library staff and leaders a rare chance to take a step back and reflect on what mattered most.
It seemed like libraries were ready to confront some of their biggest workplace challenges with a new sense of urgency and focus. The pandemic disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life and forced library leaders to address long-standing problems they had ignored for years, like career burnout, staff retention, and employee well-being. In some ways, the shared crisis felt like an opportunity for real and systemic change. Libraries had to adapt quickly to survive, and for a moment, it felt like things could only get better from there. This period showed that libraries could change when forced to. Faced with an existential threat, they proved they could adapt and innovate.
Library leaders began to realize that taking care of their staff wasn’t just an operational obligation—it was essential for keeping libraries stable and ensuring quality service to faculty, staff, and students. Conversations about workplace culture, mental health, and employee well-being moved to the center of the discussion. Suddenly, there were webinars, conference panels, and task forces dedicated to rethinking how libraries could better support their workers.
Some libraries responded with real changes, though not all of them worked, and the results varied. Flexible work arrangements, like hybrid and remote work, became more common, giving employees some control over their work environments. This was a big step forward, especially in a field where such flexibility had been rare. But these changes weren’t always applied equally. In some cases, the decisions about who could work remotely reinforced existing inequalities between different roles or departments. It created a divide.
Some libraries also updated their performance review policies and offered resources intended to make them more compassionate and supportive. These new policies acknowledged the extraordinary challenges of working during a global health crisis. While these were welcomed by employees, they also revealed deeper issues with organizational culture. Creating change was a good start, but it’s not enough on its own. A lack of budget or funding can lead employers to set sometimes unrealistic expectations. This pressure can strain employees, making it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
For a little while, it felt like real progress was happening. Maybe it wasn’t fast, but there was movement and a sense of direction. Now, it feels like libraries are stuck. The energy and urgency we had during that brief window of opportunity are gone, and we’re left feeling adrift. And the truth is, we didn’t make nearly enough progress during that time to solve the deepest, most persistent problems. Many of the underlying issues, like understaffing, excessive workloads, low pay, and limited opportunities for career growth, remain as bad as ever. For many library workers, the workplace doesn’t look much different than it did in 2019, and in some cases, things are perhaps even worse.
This leaves us with a troubling question: What, if anything, did we actually learn from the pandemic about how to support the people who keep libraries running?
Employee Engagement
Libraries must move beyond simply acknowledging the importance of employee engagement and actively implement strategies to foster a more supportive, rewarding, and fulfilling work environment. Here are some areas that library leaders need to look at:
Career Development
- Clear Career Pathways: Defined pathways for advancement within the library system, outlining skills and experience needed for progression.
- Funding for Conferences & Training: Adequate budgets for attending relevant conferences, workshops, and continuing education.
- Internal Training Programs: Opportunities to develop specialized skills (e.g., digital literacy, data analysis, collection development).
- Mentorship Programs: Pairing experienced librarians with newer staff for guidance and support.
- Lateral Moves & Cross-Training: Allowing staff to explore different roles within the library to broaden their skills and experience.
- Opportunities for Leadership Roles: Providing opportunities to lead projects, teams, or committees. Libraries should provide compensation for the change in workload.
Compensation
- Competitive Salaries: Salaries need to be competitive with similar positions in other sectors and within the broader library field.
- Pay Equity: Addressing and eliminating pay gaps based on gender, race, or other protected characteristics.
Organizational Culture
- Open Communication: Transparent communication from leadership about library goals, priorities, and challenges.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support among staff.
- Respect & Inclusion: A culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, where all staff feel respected and valued.
- Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where staff feel comfortable taking risks, voicing opinions, and admitting mistakes without fear of negative consequences.
- Social Events & Team Building: Opportunities for staff to connect outside of work tasks.
- Recognition of Contributions: Celebrating individual and team successes.
Workload
- Realistic Workloads: Ensuring workloads are manageable and sustainable, considering staff skills and experience.
- Adequate Staffing Levels: Maintaining appropriate staffing levels to meet service demands.
- Resource Allocation: Providing sufficient resources (budget, technology, materials) to support staff in their work.
- Work-Life Balance: Promoting a culture that supports work-life balance and discourages overwork.
Leadership
- Delegation & Empowerment: Delegating responsibility to staff and trusting them to make decisions within their roles.
- Consistent & Specific Feedback: Providing consistent, specific feedback—both positive and constructive—to help staff develop their skills and improve their performance.
- Formal & Informal Recognition: Implementing formal recognition programs (e.g., employee of the month) and utilizing informal recognition (e.g., thank-you notes, verbal praise) to acknowledge and appreciate staff contributions.
- Championing New Ideas: Leaders should champion new ideas and technologies, creating a culture of experimentation and learning.
About the author:
Alejandro Marquez (he/him) is a Science and Engineering Librarian at the University of Denver Libraries. He also served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, where he worked as a Municipal Development volunteer. His research interests include library employee mental health and well-being.
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