Abstract
In this session, participants will engage in discussion, reflection, and role play to identify and personalize individual and institutional strategies to mitigate bullying in their libraries. Though bullying and incivility have long impacted librarians, particularly librarians from historically marginalized groups, research on the topic fails to provide substantial affirming, practical action steps. As a field with a strong focus on both public service and research, and with a majority woman-identified workforce demographic, research from the field of nursing can help bridge this gap. This session identifies, contextualizes, and operationalizes workplace bullying and incivility countermeasures from nursing literature in order to energize librarians to create positive change in their home institutions.
Content leaders in this session will present participants with high-impact interventions to prevent and address incivility and bullying in the workplace, as identified from published research in the field of nursing. Small participant groups will workshop ways to adapt these interventions to the needs of their libraries and will role play their scenarios in a guided play-learn exercise. Space for reflection, discussion, and sharing experiences will be incorporated throughout the session.
Special attention will be paid to prioritizing BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other historically marginalized voices while creating a supportive learning environment for all. Participant takeaways include handouts addressing strategies and a bibliography of resources. Online resources, such as slides and access to brainstorming exercises, will be available to participants following the session.