Finding the Hats That Bring You Joy

It’s All About the Hats

I've spent the last several weeks designing an ALA eLearning course called Wearing Too Many Hats. When I say "hats," I mean the many roles, responsibilities, skills, and strengths that you bring to your library every day. Some hats are assigned. Others are earned. Some you choose because they bring you joy. Combined together, these hats tell the story of your growth as a library professional. 

For this new course, I’ve explored everything from time management and communication to making our work more visible and finding balance through all of this. One theme that has continued to rise to the surface is that we all need to find what library work brings us joy. 

So, It’s true if you work in a library you’re actually going to wear a lot of hats

It's one of the realities of the profession. On any given day, we wear all kinds of hats. We can be technology troubleshooters, event planners, give reading recommendations, manage library social media, supervise, go on outreach events, write grants, connect with the community, be a mentor, and so much more. We often move from one role to the next without even thinking about it.

Wearing different hats is one of the reasons that many of us love library work. Every day brings something different, new challenges, and opportunities to make a difference in our communities.

At the same time, wearing too many hats can also feel like a lot. There are days when the hats seem to multiply faster than we can keep up with them. New initiatives, competing priorities, unexpected challenges, and the desire to serve our communities can leave us feeling like we're trying to be everything for everyone.

I’d like to think that wearing all these different hats is a way for us to try new things out to see if we like them or not. If we do then yay! We will keep that hat for sure. If we don’t, then boo! Maybe that’s a hat that we exchange for another or just hang it up for good. 

Finding Hats That Bring You Joy

One of the most beautiful things about working in a library is that you can shine in so many different ways.

Some of us come alive when we’re doing programs. Others find joy in readers' advisory conversations, planning community events, building partnerships, creating welcoming displays, mentoring new staff, working with local schools, or developing accessible collections. Some thrive behind the scenes solving problems, while others enjoy connecting directly with the public every day.

And let’s face it, the hats that bring us joy might not be the same ones that bring others joy. We are all unique like that and that’s what makes the library such a special place!

In fact, I think that's one of the greatest strengths of the library profession.

Libraries need people with different talents, different interests, and different passions. Together, those differences create stronger libraries and stronger communities.

As your career grows, pay attention to the hats that leave you feeling energized rather than exhausted.

Which projects make you excited to come to work?

Which responsibilities make you lose track of time?

Which moments remind you why you wanted to work in a library?

These moments matter. They're often the moments that remind us why we chose to work in a library in the first place. 

The one thing I really want to emphasize here is that while we can't always choose every responsibility or hat we take on, we can begin looking for opportunities that allow us to spend more time doing the work that brings us more purpose and fulfillment.

The Key to Balance

Finding balance isn't only about discovering the work that brings you joy.

It's also about recognizing that you don't have to carry everything by yourself.

Libraries are collaborative places. We can also try to tap into our colleagues’ knowledge, strengths, and experiences . Sometimes support comes from the coworker down the hall who is always willing to brainstorm ideas. Sometimes it's a supervisor who encourages you to try something new. Sometimes it's a volunteer who faithfully shows up every week, a trusted mentor, a conference friend, or another librarian you've never even met in person but who somehow always knows exactly what you're going through.

Support can also come from professional organizations, online communities, authors, editors, presenters, or colleagues you've connected with through webinars and conferences.

The important thing is recognizing that your support system already exists and if it doesn't exist, there’s also the opportunity to try and build your own.

Creating Your Own Support Map

One activity I've found especially meaningful is creating a simple Support Map to help you think about who you can rely on for support and also if you need mentoring. 

Think about the people who encourage you.

Who do you call when you need advice?

Who celebrates your successes?

Who inspires you to try something new?

Who loves everything about working in a library?

Who gives you tips, pointers, tricks of the trade?

As you begin writing down names, you might even discover that your support system is larger than you realized.

You might also notice places where you'd like to strengthen a relationship or build a new connection. Maybe it's becoming more involved in your state library association or maybe it's reaching out to someone you admire. Maybe it's finding a mentor or even becoming one. Those are all total possibilities and absolutely achievable! 

Also, remember that a Support Map isn't just about identifying who can help you. It's also a reminder that none of us has to be alone in the library world. In fact, our greatest resources aren’t found on a bookshelf or in a database. Our greatest resource is the people we meet along the way.

The Power of Encouragement

One final thought.

As you think about the people on your Support Map, ask yourself one more question.

Here's a question for you. Whose Support Map might you be on?

Perhaps you're the coworker who always listens.

The mentor who encourages someone to apply for a new opportunity.

The supervisor who believes in a new librarian.

The conference friend who shares ideas.

Or simply the person who reminds someone else that they're doing a good job.

Support has a wonderful way of coming full circle. The encouragement we receive often becomes the encouragement we give.

If you can relate to any of this, then you should consider being a mentor. And honestly, you can be a mini mentor or a newby mentor or a full fledged OG mentor and that just means that you find joy in helping and guiding others. 

Connecting the Dots

Finding your balance doesn't really have to mean that you’re wearing fewer hats.

It actually means that you are discovering which hats bring you the most fulfillment or the most joy and recognizing when it's okay to set one down and remembering that there are people who are there to help you and maybe it’s sometimes that you need to let them know that you need help or support. 

I don't really think it's about trying to wear as many hats as you can. It's about wearing the hats that help you grow, build meaningful connections, and find joy in the work you do. When you begin focusing on those hats and find the people who can support you, you'll be well on your way to the next level of your library career. 

Be well,

the Compassionate Librarian