Beyond the Burnout: Leading Libraries Out of Grind Culture

In library service, “doing more with less” has quietly shifted from a temporary challenge to a permanent reality for many libraries. For library leaders, grind culture manifests as burnout, silent resentment, and the unspoken expectation that staff can continue to keep everything moving smoothly. This presentation examines how these habits erode institutional trust and staff retention. We will move beyond the “self-care” narrative and focus on how we can move the organization forward while respecting boundaries.

By the end of this presentation, you will:

• Identify specific library “grind” markers in your organization.
• Understand practical policy shifts to reset norms around workload, availability, and “always-on” expectations.
• Develop tools for building a sustainable, human-centered workplace that honors productivity and staff well-being.

Elaina Norlin
Elaina Norlin is currently the Professional Development Coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. She is an accomplished teacher, technology and leadership development trainer and writer with extensive leadership experience and a flair for public relations, sales and communications. To date, she has delivered over 40 workshops, training sessions, presentations and institutes both nationally and internationally on marketing, web usability design, facilitation, strategic influence and conflict management. Self motivated and results oriented, she is well known for my ability to juggle many projects at once. She is author of 3 books Usability Testing for Library Websites, E-Learning and Business Plans: National and International Case Studies and Creating Amazing Organizations: An Insider Look at Employment Engagement Trends (Jan 2021).

This project is funded by SEFLIN local funds thanks to the generous support of our members, participants, and our sponsors. No State or Federal grant monies were used to fund this project.