Vocational Awe and Librarianship: Loving Yourself is Not a Crime

How far would you go for your job? Would you bleed for it? Would you go to jail for it? Would you die for it? Would you kill for it? During the midst of a global pandemic, librarians are being asked to put their health, and potentially their lives, on the line in service to the public- both literal public, as in its patrons and the larger community, but also the idea of the public--the public good. And, according to vocational awe, the ideal librarian should die for it, happily, and without complaint.

So, what is vocational awe? Well, in short, it’s the idea that your work is good and sacred, and therefore is more important than any one person. Mission above all. When your work is holding up democracy and democratic values, it’s a lot harder to advocate for “simple” things such as equitable pay, reasonable work-life balance.

At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:

• Understand and recognize vocational awe in themselves and their organizations
• Identify how vocational awe negatively impacts your personal and professional life
• Deconstruct vocational awe from your organizations and advocate for higher pay, reasonable work-life balance, and prevent burnout

This webinar will be of interest to: All library workers-staff, librarians, and administrators.

Presentation Material

Speaker's slides