AMICAL Keeps Current – Emotional Labor of Instruction Librarians: Causes, Impact, and Management by Lorraine Evans and Karen Sobel
AMICAL Keeps Current is an event series for discussing a recent publication (such as articles, book chapters, presentation recordings, webinars, etc.), selected by a different committee or interest group each month. Members may also suggest publications for discussion. The series was inspired by, and continues, AMICAL’s long-running Information Literacy Journal Club.
The next AMICAL Keeps Current event will be led by Michael Stoepel (User Services Librarian at AUP), Fadia Al Akhras (Reference and Instruction Librarian at AUK), and Araz Margossian (Academic Support Librarian at AUA). We will discuss the chapter Emotional Labor of Instruction Librarians: Causes, Impact, and Management by Lorraine Evans and Karen Sobel.
The chapter discusses the emotional labor aspects that apply to the work of academic faculty and staff, highlighting risk factors that are specific to librarianship. The authors also present strategies that can be used to manage the emotional labor of teaching faculty and librarians.
Here are some discussion points (you may suggest and discuss additional points during the meeting):
- How does emotional labor manifest in the context of academic librarianship or instruction?
- What are common types of intense situations in the context of IL instruction? With regard to faculty members, students, and/or in the classroom?
- What is missing in this article about emotional labor?
- How can we create a safe and inclusive space to discuss and manage emotional labor at work without judgment or discrimination?
This event was organized by AMICAL’s Information Literacy Initiatives Committee.