2024 Core Forum

Librarians and administrators depend heavily on support staff to carry out the day-to-day operations that keep our libraries open and accessible to our users. Despite the importance of their work, they are often compensated poorly compared to the professional staff they work alongside and have fewer opportunities for professional development, resulting in burnout and low job satisfaction. Not only this, but Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), based on existing literature, are found in a greater proportion in this category of workers compared to their professional counterparts, highlighting an overall racial disparity in the library profession (Sanchez-Rodriguez, 2021). In this poster presentation, we will identify potential topics of concern to library support staff members, such as compensation, job satisfaction, and recognition for their work, based on existing literature and conversations from support staff members across the library profession. We will then outline possible solutions that librarians and administrators can implement to improve conditions for their staff as well as the overall working environment. Finally, we will discuss how we will implement a mixed methods research study that focuses on the lived experiences of support staff at academic libraries to learn how to improve their job satisfaction and working environment. Reference Sanchez-Rodriguez, N. A. (2021). In pursuit of diversity in the CUNY library profession: An effective approach to leadership in academic libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 61(2), 185-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1853470