“Librarian” and “burnout” are two words that commonly don’t go together. “Librarian” “superhero” are terms that meet the general consensus. To most people, librarians can do anything. They provide research assistance, technological assistance, help with social services, conduct library programs, reader’s advisory…the list just goes on and on. You see, librarians wear many hats and it is no surprise that “superhero” is sometimes associated with librarians.
But like most superheroes, librarians feel the pressure. I am here to tell you that librarian burnout is a real issue and a serious problem that needs to be discussed more. People outside the library profession might be surprised that this occurs (the popular myth is that we sit behind a desk and read all day). But whatever the first perceptions are, the librarian field can be a highly stressful environment and burnout can cause severe harm to the well-being of a person, such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression and increased irritability. I have dealt with one or more of these symptoms during my time as a librarian.
Librarian burnout needs to be more widely discussed. So for the next couple of weeks, I will be listing what I feel are the contributing factors of librarian burnout. Let us openly discuss what can be the cause and what solutions can solve it.
But we are not just going to stop there. I want to hear your stories . Sharing our war stories will not only be cathartic, but create an open discussion on an important topic. Submit your tale below or email me at cupofteawithbook@gmail.com and with your permission, I will post it here on my blog.
6 thoughts on “Librarian Burnout”