Mid-Career Consciousness: Joy, Fulfillment, and Strategies for Resilience
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
25-7-2025 12:15 PM
End Date
25-7-2025 1:15 PM
Description
Mid-career malaise affects professionals throughout the country, but takes a different tone when working in the library field and working in service to the people. When left unacknowledged, this malaise can turn into frustration that can make even the most effective and empathetic library professionals at risk of becoming disinvested in their communities or of leaving the industry entirely. Between managing vocational awe, navigating socio-political turbulence, and even shoring up against potential budget cuts, bringing the energy in the day-to-day is a critical skill to cultivate, particularly at the later stages of one’s career. As library staff navigate the devastating attacks on the IMLS, perseverance becomes ever more essential. In their mid-careers themselves, with a breadth of public library service experience, panelists have identified strategies, tools, and social support to continue to shift their restlessness to growth and enhancement and look to share these with their colleagues. Borrowing tools from career coaches and turning their own mentorship and support from patrons to themselves, panelists will present a broad ranging discussion of resources to attendees so that they may identify their own ways to cultivate career resilience.
Outcomes
- Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate their current career standing, reflect on their achievements, and conduct this conversation with other colleagues and/or mentors so that the feedback continues to be constructive.
- Upon completion, participants will be able to iterate a flexible 1 - 2 year goal for their career while applying any future or current constraints based on their personal needs first.
- Upon completion, participants will have additional tools to identify the values that brings/brought them joy in their current work.
Mid-Career Consciousness: Joy, Fulfillment, and Strategies for Resilience
Mid-career malaise affects professionals throughout the country, but takes a different tone when working in the library field and working in service to the people. When left unacknowledged, this malaise can turn into frustration that can make even the most effective and empathetic library professionals at risk of becoming disinvested in their communities or of leaving the industry entirely. Between managing vocational awe, navigating socio-political turbulence, and even shoring up against potential budget cuts, bringing the energy in the day-to-day is a critical skill to cultivate, particularly at the later stages of one’s career. As library staff navigate the devastating attacks on the IMLS, perseverance becomes ever more essential. In their mid-careers themselves, with a breadth of public library service experience, panelists have identified strategies, tools, and social support to continue to shift their restlessness to growth and enhancement and look to share these with their colleagues. Borrowing tools from career coaches and turning their own mentorship and support from patrons to themselves, panelists will present a broad ranging discussion of resources to attendees so that they may identify their own ways to cultivate career resilience.
Outcomes
- Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate their current career standing, reflect on their achievements, and conduct this conversation with other colleagues and/or mentors so that the feedback continues to be constructive.
- Upon completion, participants will be able to iterate a flexible 1 - 2 year goal for their career while applying any future or current constraints based on their personal needs first.
- Upon completion, participants will have additional tools to identify the values that brings/brought them joy in their current work.
