Empowering libraries: Skill building for emotional labour management in frontline library work
Community Engaged Research
Overview
Overview
abstract
The landscape of public library work in Canada has seen substantial shifts in recent years, notably impacting frontline service roles at public libraries. In Ontario, post-pandemic reports highlight a concerning surge in complex patron needs and disruptive incidents, which has profoundly affected the Hamilton Public Library (HPL) located in the city of Hamilton---the most recent city in the province to declare an emergency over homelessness, opioid addiction, and mental health. During the post-pandemic recovery period, HPL has witnessed a notable increase in staff supporting patrons facing mental health challenges, homelessness, and various social barriers across its 23 branches. Consequently, frontline roles at HPL have evolved significantly, demanding a considerable rise in the amount of emotional labour performed by staff---defined by the sociologist Arlie Hochschild (1983) as the management and display of emotions at work. The surge in patrons experiencing crises has imposed numerous emotional stressors on library staff, which has prompted HPL's senior leadership (led by the Chief Librarian and C.E.O.) to commit to the development of robust emotional labour staff training and support for effective management of emotionally demanding interactions.
