New from ACRL - “Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways”

For Immediate Release
Tue, 02/28/2023

Contact:

Erin Nevius

Content Strategist

ACRL

enevius@ala.org

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the publication of “Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways.” Edited by Brandon K. West and Elizabeth Galoozis, this new work collects strategies, experiences, and advice to help you thrive in mid-career.  

Mid-career librarianship looks different for everyone. Maybe you’ve worked in libraries for ten years, or you’re halfway to retirement. Maybe you’ve reached the highest level of a hierarchy you care to reach. Most of the literature about mid-career librarianship tends to focus on advancing to leadership or administration, but many of us are more concerned with how to continue to grow professionally without moving upward; how to make decisions about staying in an institution (or the profession); sustaining yourself amid burnout, constant change, wage compression, or even boredom; and navigating cultures of white supremacy, patriarchy, and hierarchy.

In four sections, "Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian" collects the experiences of mid-career librarians as they grapple with these questions and the roles that marginalized perspectives, intersectionality, and privilege have played in their careers: 

  • Section 1: Staying Engaged in Your Career
  • Section 2: The Role of Identity in Shaping Mid-career Librarianship
  • Section 3: Being Your Own Advocate
  • Section 4: To Lead or Not to Lead?

Chapters explore maintaining engagement and avoiding burnout; informal mentorships; the doctorate; union stewardship; addressing incivility; post-tenure fatigue; balancing ambition, personal fulfillment, and life; and much more. 

It can feel like everything gets harder, more political, and further under-resourced with each passing year. "Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian" offers strategies of community, support, and advocacy that can help make it possible for us to thrive and help others to thrive. At mid-career, we may not have the same bright-eyed enthusiasm we possessed as new information professionals, but we have other things: the contributions we make to our communities and the wealth of experience we have built up since those days.

“Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways” is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store; in print through Amazon.com; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the U.S. or (770) 442-8633 for international customers. 

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The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for academic libraries and library workers. Representing more than 8,000 individuals and libraries, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products, and services to help those working in academic and research libraries learn, innovate, and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning, transforming scholarship, and creating diverse and inclusive communities. Find ACRL on the webFacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube