“Pizza Parties Don’t Fix Burnout”: The State of Librarian Mental Health – Book Riot
“Pizza Parties Don’t Fix Burnout”: The State of Librarian Mental Health
By Kelly Jensen, Jan 20, 2026
We know that the constant demands put upon libraries and their workers take a toll. That’s why the intersection of trauma and librarianship has become a significant research and discussion topic, especially over the last six years.
Look to the need for public libraries to become a place where unhoused people can spend their days; how they are expected to put their safety on the line to be warming centers during cold snaps and cooling centers during heat waves; how they continued to need to provide in-person services during the height of a deadly pandemic; and how they have begun in recent years to hire staff social workers to help with the ongoing mental health crisis faced by community members who may have no other viable access to support.
Libraries are not essential services, despite the demands made upon them to provide essential services. These are roles that library workers take on because they view their job as meeting the needs of their communities, and if they choose not to, it could mean their budgets being slashed in the next round of cuts. Both things can be true, just as it can be true that library workers enjoy the challenges present to them and are directly impacted by them on a personal level. Librarians experience compassion fatigue and significant stress throughout their days, and that is without being faced with book bans or people showing up to board meetings calling them groomers. We also know that the physical state of America’s public libraries is poor: the Government Accountability Office found that 61% of U.S. libraries have at least one building system or feature that poses a potential health or safety concern in a report put out in December 2025.
Last year saw tremendous budget slashing in all types of libraries nationwide. It wasn’t just public or school librarians who saw their jobs and resources end. Academic libraries were on the chopping block, sending yet another message about the ways that access to verifiable facts, the historical record, and resources that advance knowledge aren’t priorities. They’re instead simply “nice to have.” It’s a confounding message, especially in an era of fake news, disordered information, and the ongoing push to integrate Artificial Intelligence into every aspect of life. It’s also a confounding message, given all the ways libraries are expected to fill in the gaps left by budget cuts elsewhere, and to do so without pushing back.
All of this has a direct and material impact on the mental health of library workers.
I wanted to know how much of a toll the job takes on library workers when I sent out a lengthy survey last summer, from July to August 2025. The survey asked library workers of all backgrounds, experiences, and demographics to get honest about where and how library work intersected with their mental health. Respondents were asked to share their experiences in a free-form style, highlighting what they perceived as the most significant stressors in the field, where and how they’ve managed their mental health in relation to their job, and what kinds of solutions they think would be helpful. Those who took part were welcome to write as much or as little as they’d like.
The results were even more surprising than expected.
The State of Library Worker Mental Health
This was by no means a controlled survey. It was self-select, but it did represent the field well. A total of 213 library workers responded: 77% worked in public libraries, 16% in academic libraries, 3% in special libraries, 2% in school libraries, 1% in government/state libraries, and 1% were retired/former. The weakness here is school libraries, but that’s likely due to the survey being sent during the summer, when the majority of school librarians are not in the office. Survey respondents were composed of 42% urban library workers, 42% suburban, 12% rural, 4% exurban, 5% mixed/multi-type systems. Library workers in the survey averaged 17 years in the field, with a median of 14 years. No degree or official “librarian” title was required to participate, just that the individual worked in a library.
The data was analyzed broadly, meaning that certain responses were grouped. Percentages in the responses will add up to more than 100% because library workers often mentioned several things that were arranged thematically. In other words, consider these responses representative and accurate, if not precise–that was not the goal.
The Biggest External Stressors in Libraries Right Now
Five big themes emerged in at least half the responses when it comes to the most significant outside stressors for libraries:
Mission Creep was the single-most day-to-day stressor mentioned.
DrWeb note: Valuable and in-depth article, look online for the rest of the story.
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: “Pizza Parties Don’t Fix Burnout”: The State of Librarian Mental Health
#BookBans #BookRiot #Burnout #Censorship #Costs #DonTFixBurnout #LibraryEmployees #LibraryStaff #MissionCreep #PizzaParties #PoliticalInterference #Politics #Stress
The Most Popular Books In US Public Libraries in 2025 – Book Riot
The Most Popular Books In US Public Libraries in 2025
What were the most popular books checked out in US libraries in 2025? Here are the top fiction and nonfiction titles across 40 libraries.
Kelly Jensen, Dec 19, 2025
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What are the most popular library book checkouts from 2025? While there is no definitive answer, we have a number of tools we can pull from to make some educated guesses. Among them are the increasingly popular “Your Library Wrapped” social posts that circulate this time of year.
Looking at 40 different top library book checkout lists from big and small public libraries across the USA, here are some of the most popular books of the year. What makes looking at public library book popularity fun is that it is year-agonistic, meaning that books published this year might sit alongside books published several years ago. Genre books tend to see more top books lists in libraries than in other outlets who compile or write about the year’s best or top books.
Of particular note this year, books published in 2024 that earned some kind of accolade, that were part of a major celebrity book club, or that had adaptation news arise landed among the most popular nationwide. This isn’t surprising–and we can likely thank ebook access for helping circulate more of these in-demand titles to patrons. When a book is popular, though ebooks are much more costly for libraries than print copies, additional ebook purchases can often be done quicker than print. We’ll see this when we look at next year’s roundup of most popular books, too, as one of the largest distributors of print materials to public libraries went under this fall.
Other interesting trends this year include seeing genre fiction among the most popular titles. They’re a library staple that can too often be overlooked in “best of” lists from non-library outlets. Authors who have immense and long-time followings saw their titles on these lists, such as David Baldacci and Louise Penny. This year, we also saw popular BookTok authors also rise through the ranks, such as Rebecca Yarros and Freida McFadden. Meanwhile, only one library had a Sarah J. Maas title among its most circulated, a change from the last few years.
White authors tend to dominate in these lists, but the lists across the 40 libraries surveyed are more varied than just what’s at the top. This is, of course, a reflection of how publishing is still a predominantly white industry, and the books that tend to get bigger publicity and marketing around them are by white authors. It’s also worth addressing here that some of the biggest genre writers are long-time writers, so hitting the top of the most-circulated list as a newer genre writer can be tough. Again: that doesn’t mean they aren’t here or don’t circulate in libraries. It means they’re not at the tippy top.
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The good news is that when an author of color sees their book receive publicity and accolades, that attention is reflected in the library. One of this year’s biggest circulating titles? It’s James by Percival Everett. While it did not make the cut off for the most borrowed title of the year, James McBride’s The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store landed on several most circulated lists this year, too.
Another element to consider in looking at these lists is the role that the digital platforms for library ebooks play themselves. Some collections will simply have more copies of particular titles than others, allowing for more checkouts of said titles; hoopla, for example, allows many library users to borrow titles simultaneously, so when something is popular, more people have access at once than they do through a service like Libby (this is part of why hoopla has become unsustainable financially for libraries, particularly over the last year). Likewise, whatever books are being promoted on those digital platforms via book lists or readalike lists–aka, what to read if you liked a particular title or movie–can impact what people borrow. It was interesting looking through hundreds of the most popular titles and seeing some surprises bubble up on the “top ebook” checkout lists. As you’ll see below, though, the top checkouts in print and ebooks have been collapsed into single lists.
Whether a major metropolitan library, a midsize suburban library, or a teeny rural library, here’s what Americans were picking up across the country in 2025, based on 40 different public library lists.
The Most Popular Fiction in US Public Libraries in 2025
This list includes combined ebooks and print books. Some libraries create separate lists of top checkouts in each, but even in those separate lists, there’s a lot of crossover (The Women by Kristin Hannah was on both for the same library, for example). It makes sense to collapse them into a broader “fiction” category. Only a couple of libraries had separate “genre” lists in their wrap ups; those titles were not included. This reflects only the top lists which mixed fiction genres. The below is only for adult fiction and does not include the YA book which appeared on numerous lists as among the most circulating: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, which was on four lists.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: The Most Popular Books In US Public Libraries in 2025
#2025 #BookRiot #Books #Fiction #GreatBigBeautifulLife #James #NonFiction #OnyxStorm #PublicLibraries #TheGodOfTheWoods #TheWomen #USPublicLibraries
A Major Court Win for IMLS, Libraries – Book Riot
A Major Court Win for IMLS, Libraries
Trump and his administration are barred from dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services, thanks to a judge’s ruling.
By Kelly Jensen, Nov 24, 2025
U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell ruled in favor of 21 state attorneys general suing Donald Trump over the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and several other small federal agencies. This permanent injunction means that the Trump administration cannot do further harm to the IMLS.
McConnell wrote in the first paragraph of his decision:
By now, the question presented in this case is a familiar one: may the Executive Branch undertake such actions in circumvention of the will of the Legislative Branch? In recent months, this Court—along with other courts across the country—has concluded that it may not. That answer remains the same here.
On March 14, the Trump administration announced via an Executive Order that the only federal agency dedicated to public libraries and museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) would be dismantled. Since that time, employees have been laid off and federal funding has been revoked and reinstated nationwide. The Trump-appointed acting director of the agency, Keith Sonderling, made clear that the purpose of the agency going forward would be state propaganda.
The ripples of these federal decisions have made their way to the state level, with state libraries laying off employees and cuts to public library services at the local level impacted. Two lawsuits (Rhode Island v. Trump and The American Library Association v. Sonderling) were filed against the cuts, both of which remain in the federal courts. A full timeline and look at the impact of the IMLS dismantling can be viewed here.
In making his decision, the judge pointed to the lack of standing the administration made related to the Tucker Act, as well as failure of the administration to act reasonably when terminating grants and IMLS staff. The judge also emphasized that the administration’s decision to dismantle the IMLS was unconstitutional, violating both the “Take Care” and “Separation of Powers” clauses.
McConnell’s decision also pointed to the evidence submitted by the 21 states as proof that the dismantling of the IMLS wasn’t immaterial or imagined:
The Court finds Defendants’ argument unavailing, as the record paints a markedly different picture. For instance, consider the public libraries in New Mexico, New Jersey, Maine, and Oregon that would have to close branches, implement hiring freezes, and/or cease providing services that aim to foster literacy and support learning among its patrons were IMLS to be dismantled. ECF No. 75 at 43-46; ECF No. 92 at 25-26. Or consider the State universities in Hawai‘i, Maryland, and Arizona that would be forced to eliminate their student programming, default on their contracts, and/or terminate their employees absent continued funding from MBDA.22 ECF No. 92 at 24-25. Next, consider the State entities in Rhode Island, Illinois, and Minnesota that face the very real prospect of work stoppage and negotiation impasses should their labor disputes go unresolved without the critical support of FMCS mediators. ECF No. 92 at 26-27. And finally, consider the loss that Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin would suffer without the research-based and community-specific expert assistance that each State’s agencies have continuously relied on in their efforts to support unhoused individuals.ECF No. 75 at 53-55. All this to say: the injuries alleged are to the States themselves and are far more than merely economic or speculative.
We have already seen that services like Interlibrary Loan (ILL) have been directly affected by the loss of IMLS funds. South Dakota shut down ILL services early on the IMLS dismantling, while Iowa saw their courier service slashed from twice a week ro once. Florida lost ILL services statewide on October 1.
The decision in this case applies to grants in all states in the US, not just those whose states brought the case to court. That means the grants available via the IMLS will continue and they will be available to all 50 states. Funding cannot be arbitrarily halted. We saw this happen as three states had their grants canceled–California, Connecticut, and Washington–over the inclusion of the word “equity” in their application.
The administration is also barred from taking further action in dismantling the agency.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law and a clear rejection of executive overreach. Congress created the Institute of Museum and Library Services to serve the American people, and no president can erase that mandate by fiat. We are grateful to the 21 plaintiff states who stood up in this case and defended the statutory rights of libraries, museums, and their communities,” said John Chratska, Executive Director of EveryLibrary. “Their courage has not only protected IMLS but also the entire federal framework for access to information, learning, and culture. As Congress resumes work on the FY2026 appropriations bills, we urge lawmakers to fully fund IMLS, especially the Grants to States program, and reaffirm the agency’s role as an essential partner to every library in the nation.”
See Also: Other posts on the blog about this court ruling & IMLS.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: A Major Court Win for IMLS, Libraries
Tags: 21 States, American People, Book Riot, Censorship, Executive Branch, IMLS, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Judge John J. McConnell, Legislative Branch, Major Court Win, Permanent Injunction, Trump, Tucker Act#21States #americanPeople #bookRiot #censorship #executiveBranch #imls #instituteOfMuseumAndLibraryServicesImls #judgeJohnJMcconnell #legislativeBranch #majorCourtWin #permanentInjunction #trump #tuckerAct
Under Threat from State, Florida Public Schools Are Banning These 55+ Books Without Review | Kelly Jensen | BookRiot | Aug 11, 2025
Despite the legal precedent of “local control” in Florida’s statutes related to book bans in public schools, the State Board of Education has been threatening legal action against districts that don’t remove 55 books they deem inappropriate.
Is Your Dream Home an Old Library? This Place Is For You – Book Riot
This former Carnegie library is full of details about its role as a community library–and it’s now looking for its next owner.
Periodically, a real estate listing pops up that is custom-made for book lovers. That’s the case with this listing from Alma, Nebraska. If ever you’ve dreamed of living in an old library, this may be your perfect opportunity.
Located at 111 John Street in Alma, this 1911 home is a former Carnegie library that has turned into a private residence. That doesn’t mean it lacks the hallmarks of the former library–indeed, the entire outside still looks as it originally did as a library and the inside of the home features plenty of reminders of the building’s former role in the community.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Is Your Dream Home an Old Library? This Place Is For You.
#Alma #BookRiot #CarnegieLibrary #Home #Nebraska #OldLibrary
Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush talks with Book Riot editor and "Literary Activism" newsletter writer Kelly Jensen. Later Rev. Amos Brown talks about the Smithsonian Institution trying to return Black history artifacts he had supplied in 2016.
Of possible interest, especially in these #HardTimes. A bit lengthy but worth a look.
> How to Critically Read a Press Release From the Federal Government
https://bookriot.com/guide-to-critically-read-a-press-release-from-the-federal-government/ via #BookRiot
#InformationLiteracy #news #journalism #GovDocs #FYI #USGovernment
Via Kelly Jensen: "The literary landscape and response to the Los Angeles wildfires, including what has and has not survived, long reads on who is fighting the fires, book-related fundraisers and auctions going on right now, and more:"
Must-read work about the L.A. wildfires, what cultural institutions have survived and been lost to the fires, and where you can make donations. That, plus this week's book censorship news.
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Karen E. Lund 💙💛
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