Toxic Culture and Burnout in Academic Libraries: Finding a Way Forward

As a library director, I see firsthand the toll that toxic culture and burnout can take on academic librarians. The signs are often subtle at first—a colleague skipping breaks, staying late too many nights in a row, or withdrawing from discussions they once led with energy. Over time, those small signals accumulate into disengagement, frustration, and, eventually, burnout.

The mission of an academic library depends on engaged, curious, and collaborative people. When toxic culture takes hold—through overwork, poor communication, or inequitable practices—it doesn’t just harm individuals. It undermines the library’s ability to serve students and faculty.

Why Administrators Must Pay Attention
It’s tempting for leaders to view burnout as a personal problem, something to be solved with better self-care. But burnout is a workplace issue, and administrators have both the responsibility and the power to address it. In libraries, toxic culture often grows out of systemic pressures:

• Chronic understaffing that normalizes “doing more with less.”
• Opaque decision-making that leaves staff feeling excluded.
• Hierarchies and silos that silence certain voices.
• Invisibility of labor, where recognition rarely matches effort.
• Resistance to innovation that punishes creativity instead of rewarding it.

Left unchecked, these conditions drive talented librarians out of the profession and weaken our collective impact.

What Leaders Can Do
Elizabeth Grace Saunders, in her Harvard Business Review article on recovering from burnout, argues that regaining a sense of control is key. Administrators can create conditions where staff feel empowered to exercise that control:

• Adopt an ownership mindset. Make it clear that staff have agency—whether it’s saying no to nonessential committees or shaping workflows.
• Model boundaries. If administrators answer emails at midnight, staff feel pressure to do the same. Leaders set the tone.
• Challenge assumptions. “It’s always been done this way” should not be a barrier to change. Test limits and encourage experimentation.

Frameworks for Organizational Renewal
The CALM Framework—Communication, Adaptability, Learning, and Management—provides a guide for administrators ready to lead cultural change:

• Communication: Share decisions openly; invite feedback before policies are finalized.
• Adaptability: Rebalance workloads when priorities shift; avoid rewarding overwork.
• Learning: Build in reflection after projects to celebrate wins and learn from missteps.
• Management: Ensure equity in distributing responsibilities, opportunities, and recognition.

Paired with DEI principles, CALM enables leaders to replace toxic patterns with inclusive, resilient cultures.

Examples in Action
Even modest interventions from administrators can spark lasting impact:

• Workload Equity: One library rotated service desk duties across staff, reducing stress and resentment.
• Wellness Integration: Another embedded “check-in” questions into meetings, normalizing conversations about balance.
• Transparent Prioritization: A director restructured committee work, ensuring staff knew which projects were essential and which could wait.

These changes were not costly, but they were transformational.

Did You Know?
The World Health Organization identifies burnout as an occupational syndrome tied to chronic workplace stress. In libraries, this can show up as emotional exhaustion, detachment from patrons, and diminished innovation. Institutions that confront toxic dynamics directly—through workload balance, recognition systems, and inclusive communication—report stronger staff retention, higher morale, and more effective services.

An Administrator’s Call to Action
As administrators, we can’t afford to ignore the warning signs of toxic culture and burnout. Our librarians deserve workplaces that sustain them, not deplete them. Our students and faculty deserve libraries powered by engaged, creative professionals.

The responsibility—and the opportunity—rests with us.

👉 As an administrator, what’s one action you will take this semester to reduce burnout and strengthen resilience in your library? Share your ideas. Together, we can build academic libraries where both staff and students thrive.