Usually, during the weekly Problems of an Overworked Librarian, I provide a common instance that most librarians encounter at their jobs and accompany it with a funny GIF. But for this week, I am changing tactics because I received devastating news this week.

A librarian at my job took their own life. I knew this person and had pleasant conversations with them in passing, so this was heartbreaking and devastating. I felt a variety of emotions when I discovered the news: sadness, Anxiety, frustration and anger.

I want to say this first: mental health is real. Please, if you know someone in your life who is dealing with mental health struggles or feels that you or someone you know might be a danger to yourself, yourself or others, get help immediately.  From personal experience, I know the first step of asking for help is always the hardest. But once you do, trust me, you will feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. Your number one priority should always be to take care of yourself.

The second is that library trauma is real. When people think of libraries and librarians, they see us as superheroes and think that libraries are safe places where nothing can go wrong. But libraries are just like any other workplace; they can be toxic, cause burnout and be detrimental to a person’s mental health. It is important to respect and admire libraries for all that they do. But anything put on a pedestal risks having trouble being hidden. I fear that people don’t want to hear about the bad side of libraries but continue to idolize the idea of working in a library and thinking that nothing goes wrong. That will prevent an honest discussion on the issues that staff face working in a library.

I enjoy working as a librarian, but not at the expense of my mental health. I may parody situations through this weekly feature, but it comes from a serious place. Please continue to support your local library, but also be willing to accept that we are humans that is trying to do a job that doesn’t break us but brings the same joy that we encountered when we joined the profession. I hope you take the time to lend an ear to a librarian you know. They could use it and at the end of the day, they would appreciate it.

---

• 988 Lifeline
• NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Beyond Blue
• Mental Health Organisation
• Mind
• Urban Library Trauma Study
• The Weight We Carry- American Libraries Magazine
• Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves

---

---