The Pursuit for Excellence

By Jaime Valenzuela (Follow us on LinkedIn) It is clear to me that there are many of us who are passionate about the work we do. Some of us pursue excellence in the work process. Others are simply seeking to get the job done. There are also those among us who desire to complete their work

Trauma-Informed Librarianship for Survivors

By Allan Cho (Follow us on LinkedIn) As part of the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network (ViMLoC), I’ve participated in its mentorship program and have met many talented and eager early career librarians over the years. I had recently caught up with a mentee who was going through a dark period in their life. We had

Establishing Equitable Expectations: Writing the Unwritten Rules of the Workplace

By Anonymous (Follow us on LinkedIn) Picture it. You started your new job a week ago, and your first staff meeting starts in five minutes. You make your way to the conference room, only to find that everyone else is already there and the meeting is underway. You quickly sit down and surreptitiously check the clock—no,

Small Steps, Big Bonds: Simple Acts to Reconnect

By Francesco Fasano (Follow us on LinkedIn) One of the reasons I was drawn to librarianship is the connections we create with our constituency and among ourselves. As we emerged from the pandemic at full speed, a significant change observed was the way we related to one another. It was unsurprising to me that data from

Mo Money, Mo Problems: How to Quit

By Trezlen Drake (Follow us on LinkedIn) As a first generation professional, my family has emphasized their belief that when one has a job, you should stay there no matter what. Discomfort in the work environment is likened to a petty grievance rather than a true concern about toxicity. I have been told that, since all

Keeping a Healthy Mindset at Work – The Librarian’s Four Agreements

By Havilah Steinman Bakken (Follow us on LinkedIn) I recently had the opportunity to read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz for the first time. The author explores four decisions they have made to promote mental health and a practical mindset in daily life. Making the following four agreements with myself as the author describes

Work Life Balance, Guilty Mom Syndrome

By Itunu Sofidiya (Follow us on LinkedIn) I am the first to admit that I completely understand why many people don’t want to have kids. I have a ten-year-old son, who I absolutely adore.  However, mommying while working is difficult and expensive. I guess expensive is relative, because kids don’t have to bankrupt you. However, as a parent,

The People You Work With Are Not Your Family

By Marcelo Rodríguez Recently, I was featured in a short Q&A talking about my thoughts on leadership. Quite frankly, I did it more as a favor than anything else, and I spent around 20 minutes answering the questions. I do spend a considerable amount of time thinking about leadership at work and how it translates