Coworker-induced burnout: Firsthand accounts of the impacts of colleagues’ behavior on academic librarians’ and archivists’ well-being

Book chapter

M. H. Albro, Christy Fic
Christina Holm, Ana Guimaraes, Nashieli Marcano, Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes and Responses, ACRL, 2022, pp. 143-160

Cite

APA Click to copy
Albro, M. H., & Fic, C. (2022). Coworker-induced burnout: Firsthand accounts of the impacts of colleagues’ behavior on academic librarians’ and archivists’ well-being. In C. Holm, A. Guimaraes, & N. Marcano (Eds.), Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes and Responses (pp. 143–160). ACRL.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Albro, M. H., and Christy Fic. “Coworker-Induced Burnout: Firsthand Accounts of the Impacts of Colleagues’ Behavior on Academic Librarians’ and Archivists’ Well-Being.” In Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes and Responses, edited by Christina Holm, Ana Guimaraes, and Nashieli Marcano, 143–160. ACRL, 2022.

MLA Click to copy
Albro, M. H., and Christy Fic. “Coworker-Induced Burnout: Firsthand Accounts of the Impacts of Colleagues’ Behavior on Academic Librarians’ and Archivists’ Well-Being.” Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes and Responses, edited by Christina Holm et al., ACRL, 2022, pp. 143–60.

BibTeX Click to copy

@inbook{albro2022a,
  title = {Coworker-induced burnout: Firsthand accounts of the impacts of colleagues’ behavior on academic librarians’ and archivists’ well-being},
  year = {2022},
  pages = {143-160},
  publisher = {ACRL},
  author = {Albro, M. H. and Fic, Christy},
  editor = {Holm, Christina and Guimaraes, Ana and Marcano, Nashieli},
  booktitle = {Academic Librarian Burnout: Causes and Responses}
}

Abstract

Burnout is an area of interest to many library managers and administrators; however, the literature surrounding librarian burnout tends to focus on external factors. Studies have not
explored the connection between librarians’ professional relationships and their well-being. This study seeks to explore the mental and physical impacts of dealing with challenging coworkers among academic librarians and archivists. Thirteen participant interviews
were conducted with academic librarians and archivists. Trends showed participants dealt with a variety of challenging behaviors from coworkers, such as communication issues; interpersonal relationships and personality differences; issues with professionalism;
problems with understanding job duties, roles, and responsibilities; and encounters with poor leadership. Participants described a variety of consequences due to dealing with these behaviors, such as anxiety and panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, and increased stress.
While participants noted negative behaviors had negative health impacts, they also spoke about the benefits of positive coworker interactions on their well-being. The findings of this study can aid managers and administrators as they seek to provide support structures for employee well-being and create a more empowered workforce. Knowledge of the types of harmful or negative behaviors coworkers engage in will allow academic libraries to mitigate their occurrence in the workplace. Understanding the consequences of challenging coworker interactions provides context for employee decisions, such as the decision to seek employment elsewhere, and can be used to decrease turnover and create a more engaged and content workforce.