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“I would love to work somewhere I could read all day!”
“Wow, that must be so nice and quiet. Do you ever shush people?”
“When I was a kid, it was my dream to work in a library.”
These common comments about working in libraries reflect a romanticized stereotype of library work, an idyllic vision that doesn’t reflect the current landscape of the field. Library workers are increasingly facing unique and challenging job stresses and they need support from career practitioners who understand their reality. By better understanding the changing nature of library work, you can more effectively support library workers in managing their career stress and advocating for their well-being.
The current library landscape
The vision many people have of libraries harks back to a bygone era. With the rise of the internet and book automation technology, the role of library workers has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. The tech revolution removed the need to painstakingly provide reference support or manage circulation by hand, transforming the role of libraries in communities and, by extension, expanding library workers’ job duties.
The 2023 article “Have You Been to the Library Lately?” published in The Walrus describes the on-the-ground reality of libraries in recent years. Often described as “the last public space,” libraries are now much more than places to access books. Instead, they are public spaces where everybody can go to access almost anything. As social welfare systems have been gradually eroded, libraries have expanded to take on tasks that used to be managed by an entire welfare system. Societal crises such as homelessness, drug poisonings and mental health concerns are not only visible but magnified inside libraries.
The impact on library workers
Reports from across Canada demonstrate the impact this reality has on workers. Security incidents have risen dramatically in recent years in big and small communities alike. In a 2022 study surveying over 500 frontline library workers in Canada, nearly all (97%) of library workers reported witnessing or directly experiencing violence, aggression, or intimidation at work. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a 2025 survey of public library workers in British Columbia found that most (83%) employees feel unsafe at work at least some of the time. The changing nature of library work, increased pressure to fill gaps in the social safety net and high rates of workplace violence all contribute to high rates of burnout in library workers. Despite these challenges, the difficult reality of library work is often glossed over. One reason for this is a phenomenon known as vocational awe.
Vocational awe
Librarian Fobazi Ettarh coined the term “vocational awe” to describe the assumption that libraries are inherently good and therefore beyond critique. Because libraries are seen as grandiose spaces – places where freedom of information reigns, democracy is upheld and literacy is championed – rhetoric surrounding library work often describes the vocation as a sacred calling. This language implies that workers will respond obediently to the mission of libraries because they find reward in the meaning they derive from their work.
Ettarh argues that this feeling of awe inspired by work that is bigger than workers themselves is often weaponized to stifle workers’ concerns. Common job stressors for library workers include emotional labour, low wages, job creep and precarious work. Library workers feel pressure to serve without complaint, lest they be accused of not being passionate or selfless enough to carry out this important work. Because vocational awe frames sacrifice as an essential element to meaningful work, library workers may struggle to recognize their needs as legitimate, leaving them vulnerable to diminished well-being.
What career practitioners can do
In the face of these challenges, what can career practitioners do? Certainly, I am not suggesting that nobody should pursue library work or that being emotionally invested in one’s work is harmful. Rather, you should be aware of the changing world of library work and pass this knowledge on. Clients interested in pursuing library work may picture carefully curating book lists but be unaware of the simultaneous expectation to provide social services and manage public space use.
You can also share the language of vocational awe with clients. Ettarh describes the term as a shield library workers can use to protect themselves against murky transgressions that get justified or guilted away. You can similarly help clients discuss job stressors by giving them permission to acknowledge both the hurtful and the meaningful aspects of their work. An authentic assessment of their experiences empowers clients to advocate for themselves. Beyond speaking with a career practitioner, clients can also be encouraged to build community support by talking to their co-workers about their experiences.
Additionally, you can ensure that their work with all clients, not just library workers, advances the call for decent work. By reinforcing that clients do not have to sacrifice their well-being for their work, even when their work is valuable to society, you can provide services that do not echo sentiments of vocational awe.
The systemic causes of library workers’ job stress and mental health concerns require systemic solutions. You should remind yourself and your clients that self-care, while important, cannot fix systemic issues. Library workers in particular may need to be reminded that experiences of burnout are not a personal failing.
Finally, know the scope of your practice. If clients are experiencing burnout or other mental health concerns that you are unequipped to support, refer them to appropriate mental health services, such as counselling. Library workers may feel like they should be able to manage their job stress alone because their work serves a meaningful societal purpose, so they may need assistance accessing more in-depth support.
Library workers work to help others access information, community and opportunity. They deserve career support that recognizes both the meaning and challenges of their work. By understanding the realities of library work and resisting career narratives that equate sacrifice with passion, you can help library workers build sustainable and fulfilling careers that meet both societal and personal needs.
