Tag Archives: stress

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Mindfulness Series in the SCSU Library

Is too much change stressing you out? Do you feel so scattered that you find it difficult to focus and “be in the moment?” You are not alone, many seem to be looking for ways to stay well and feel centered and fulfilled in their personal and professional lives. I am a member of the St. Cloud State Health and Wellness Committee, and we are proud to offer campus and the Central MN region a free, three part series on mindfulness! If you were at the Fall MLA Conference, you know that this is a hot topic of interest in the library world. No registration is necessary; everyone is welcome! Hope to see you there!

Not up to speed on this topic as it relates to library staff? See our earlier post on mindfulness here.

Did you see the recent free webinar on mindfulness offered by Minitex. The archived version is now available.

Note: The SCSU university Library is inside the Miller Center!

Mindfulness

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Librarian – One of the Ten Least Stressful Jobs?

StressCNBC’s January 3rd article, The 10 Least Stressful Jobs of 2013, lists Librarian as the ninth least stressful job of 2013. CNBC’s information comes from CareerCast’s annual list of Least Stressful Jobs of 2013, compiled by publisher Tony Lee. Lee sites that Librarian positions are one of the least stressful because “You’re working in a comfortable environment. Your job is to help people use services as best as possible. Given that environment, stress levels are low.” The article goes on to point out that libraries are quiet and you’re surrounded by books  — and books don’t talk back or demand anything from you.

Yikes, really? When is the last time the authors stepped into a library or considered the duties of a degreed librarian? Also, while books might not talk back or demand anything, our patrons certainly will… and if not our patrons, then certainly our supervisors, directors, deans, and board. In most cases, unless you’re running your own library… you have someone to report to!

In response to the CNBC article, the Screwy Decimal: Tales from an Urban Librarian blog, posted an blog article titled 5 Reasons Being a Librarian is Stressful. In it, the author highlights five categories of why librarian positions are stressful – but the author didn’t compile the list without a little help! The five reasons are a compilation of tweets from the author’s fellow librarians and colleagues about their daily stresses as a librarian. In summary, our work is not easy — not easy at all — and people that assume it’s an easy job, often have an antiquated view of the profession and of libraries as a whole.