Link Round Up – Lies About Librarians, Brandolini’s Law, Neurodiveristy, Feedback and More

I am taking a break from writing chapters to do a link round. Just some things I saw, read, shared, or made me think over the last couple of weeks. And one webinar opportunity.

Lies About Libraries (Part One) – Welcome to the first in a series of posts dedicated to debunking false claims used to undermine trust in libraries and attack those who work in them.

The people who work in libraries are many things: dedicated civil servants. Passionate about the myriad benefits of literacy. Curious lifelong learners providing free educational opportunities to everyone in their community. Staunch supporters of First Amendment rights and the freedoms foundational to democracy. Believers in the power of stories to bring people together. Dedicated to helping others discover whatever they’re looking for, free from surveillance and judgment. 

Despite the public good they provide — or perhaps because of it — in recent years political operatives and extremist groups have slanderously mischaracterized library workers as everything from pornographers to pedophiles.

And while I appreciate the hard work behind the article I just share I am also reminded of Brandolini’s law.

Brandolini’s law (or the bullshit asymmetry principle) is an Internet adage coined in 2013 by Italian programmer Alberto Brandolini. It compares the considerable effort of debunking misinformation to the relative ease of creating it in the first place. The adage states:

The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.

This webinar looks great –> Navigating Environmental Mismatch as a Neurodiverse Academic Librarian from Neurodiverse Library and Information Staff Network, Supporting Neurodivergent Talent in Library & Information Staff in the UK & Ireland.

Jan 14 · 9:00 AM CST Get Tickets

Librarian Health and the Library: A Vital Relationship from LibLime

When we think about what makes a library thrive, we often consider its collections, programs, and community partnerships. Yet there’s a fundamental truth that warrants greater attention: the well-being of librarians is inseparable from the health of the libraries they serve.

2026 Guide on Workplace Mental Health & Psychological Safety

You cannot provide support if your employees are afraid to speak. This is why psychological safety is the foundation of the modern workplace. Originally defined as the ability to take risks without fear of punishment, psychological safety in 2025 has become the primary indicator of a healthy culture. Without psychological safety, an employee will hide their anxiety until it results in a resignation.

Actionable workplace wellness initiatives for small businesses – contains real, actionable things any organization can do. All are tied to proven burnout prevention or well-being initiatives that actually make a difference.

Why Feedback Really Fails

If we are really, really honest with ourselves, we’d admit that the vast majority of feedback that is offered up is actually meant to benefit the person offering the feedback.

I’m teaching a class on management and teams this spring, and one aspect I want to bring into it is how to give good feedback. I spent a lot of time over break digging into issues around feedback and how to provide useful feedback (not personal preferences, opinions, or bias), and I’m looking forward to turning it into a lecture. I’m also thinking about writing a series of blog posts on it. Let me know if you’re interested.

#brandonliniSLaw #Feedback #librarianWellBeing #liesAboutLibraries #neurodiversity #wellBeingInTheWorkplace

From Librarian Burnout to Boundaries: ThriveLib

When I first had the idea for ThriveLib, it came from hearing so many librarians and library workers across public, academic, school, and special libraries quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) express how exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected they felt. I kept hearing variations of the same sentiment: “I love this work, but it’s taking everything out of me.”

I knew there was a need for something different. Something that didn’t just patch the symptoms, but that offered space, support, and strategies for genuine well-being. But I’ll be honest: I had no idea if this idea would work or be successful. Would people be willing to pay to attend? Could we cover costs? Would the library community show up for something like this?

You did. And it’s clear: the need is real.

The idea was to build a space where we can talk honestly about burnout, boundaries, and the culture of “always on” that so many of us have internalized. But more than that, it’s a space for hope and for action. It’s a chance to learn from each other, connect, and start making meaningful change in our workplaces and in ourselves.

One of my goals in creating ThriveLib was to fairly compensate speakers. Too often in our field, we’re expected to share our expertise for free – reviewing and writing journal articles or underpaid speaking gigs. I believe that labor deserves compensation.

Hosting an online conference isn’t free or easy. There are real costs involved – Zoom licenses, HeySummit platform and ticketing fees, PayPal fees, not to mention the time of our technical support staff, the guidance of an incredible advisory board, and my own time organizing, managing, and making this happen. But we kept prices accessible because we want this event to be for everyone who needs it.

If you have suggestions or feedback, I would love to hear them. We’ll have an anonymous survey for all attendees, but feel free to send an email to [email protected] too.

If you believe in this work, I’d be so grateful if you’d help spread the word. We have spaces still. Share it on listservs and SharePoint. Repost it on social media (Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and mention it to a colleague.

This is just the beginning. I hope to host ThriveLib in future years and grow it into something even bigger, because the need for this kind of space in our profession isn’t going away.

ThriveLib: Reclaiming Joy, Balance, and Boundaries in Libraries is a virtual conference built by and for library professionals who are ready to reimagine what well-being looks like in our field. We’re talking about psychological safety, setting boundaries, addressing burnout, building community, and shifting the culture of library work to something more sustainable and more humane.

Tickets:

• $100 Standard
• $75 Subsidized – for the unemployed, underemployed, and LIS students, I cannot stress enough how much I want people to use this ticket price if they need to!
• $125 Pay it Forward – for those able to help support someone else’s access.

Every ticket includes:

• Access to all live sessions
• Recordings available for 30 days
• Downloadable handouts
• Completion certificates
• A chance to win one of three essential titles on library well-being

Register now at https://thrivelib.heysummit.com/

Let’s make library work sustainable. Let’s make it joyful again.

With gratitude,

#boundaries #burnout #burnoutPrevention #Conferences #libraryJoy #libraryWork #wellBeingInTheWorkplace #wellness #wellnessForLibrarians #wellnessForLibraryStaff

Join Me for If We Could Have Just Ten Minutes of Your Time Program Series

ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman are hosting a spring trilogy of free, short, and helpful Zoom programs. I will be on the final panel with other great authors. The series includes sessions of 10-minute presentations, with open discussion and audience Q&A following the last presentation.

I will be speaking Thursday, May 22 @ 2 PM ET/1 PM CT, you can register here.

• Bobbi L. Newman, author of Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers
• Cathryn M. Copper, author of The Experimental Library: A Guide to Taking Risks, Failing Forward, and Creating Change
• Bess G. de Farber, author of Creating Fundable Grant Proposals: Profiles of Innovative Partnerships
• Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, author of Inspiring Teens, Tweens, and Families to Make a Difference in the World: Programming to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals
• Stephanie K. Gerding, author of Winning Grants, Third Edition

The other programs are:

Tuesday, May 20th at 2 PM ET/1 PM CT, If We Could Have Just Ten Minutes of Your Time, Public Library Workers!

• Margaret Ann Paauw, author of Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: The PLA Guide to Trauma-Informed De-Escalation
• Angelo Moreno, Meredith Kahn, Kelly McElroy and Emily Drabinski, authors of Organize Your Library! Developing the Collective Power of Library Workers (Critical Cultural Information Series)
• Audrey Barbakoff, co-author of The 12 Steps to a Community-Led Library
• Kodi Laskin, author of Serving Patrons with Disabilities: Perspectives and Insights from People with Disabilities
• Micah Bateman, co-author of Mapping the Imaginary: Supporting Creative Writers through Programming, Prompts, and Research

Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM ET/1 PM CT If We Could Have Just Ten Minutes of Your Time, Academic Library Workers and LIS Instructors! 

Expected author-presenters include:

• Amanda Nichols Hess, author of Information Literacy and Critical Thinking: Using Perspective Transformation to Break Information Bubbles
• Eric Johnson, Vanessa Rodriguez and Emily Thompson, three of the co-authors of A Complete Guide to Creative Technology Spaces in Academic Libraries: Media Labs, Makerspaces, and More
• Alexander J. Carroll and Joshua Borycz, co-authors of Essentials of STEM Librarianship
• Patricia Franks, author of Records and Information Management, Third Edition
• Angelo Moreno, Meredith Kahn, Kelly McElroy and Emily Drabinski, co-authors of Organize Your Library! Developing the Collective Power of Library Workers (Critical Cultural Information Studies series)
• Aisha Johnson, a contributor to The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship: When They Dared to Be Powerful (Critical Cultural Information Studies series)

#wellBeing #wellBeingInTheWorkplace