Cultivating Library Joy: Finding Fulfillment in Everyday Work
This panel will explore the concept of “library joy,” focusing on the moments of fulfillment and positivity that library employees experience in their work. Participants will reflect on personal experiences, share stories, and identify ways to foster a joyful work environment.
Through guided questions, we will examine how joy contributes to professional satisfaction, the role of patrons in creating meaningful interactions, and the importance of maintaining joy amidst the challenges of library work. Together, we will discover strategies to cultivate a culture of joy and well-being in the library space.
About the panelistsÂ
Jennie Bachelor (they/them) is an Adult Services Librarian with Jefferson County Public Library (Belmar Branch) , which provides services to those living in, and around, Jefferson County in Colorado. They spend much of their time connecting patrons with information and resources, as well as planning and implementing programming for adults, and hosting book clubs. They’ve worked at several public library systems in Colorado and are particularly passionate about intellectual freedom, whether it be restricted access to subscriber only content newspaper articles, or the ongoing challenges to programming and books in schools & libraries. They want to spend the rest of their library career trying to be the openly LGBTQ+ librarian that they needed when they were a young/new adult. Hopefully, they succeed.
Marie Bayer/she/her is currently the Adult Services Librarian for the Lakewood location of the Jefferson County Public Library. Although, I assist patrons of all ages on a daily basis, my focus is to support library associates with all things related to serving adults in our library: assisting
patron in technology and other information needs, planning and facilitating programs for adults of all ages (my passion being older adults). In my roles at CAL, I am co-chair of the CAL Adult Services Interest Group and a member of the Intellectual Freedom Committee.
Jenny Bowers (she/her), Professor, is the Social Sciences Librarian at the University of Denver where she supports students and faculty through instruction, research consultations, and collection development. Her research focuses on critical approaches to teaching with archival materials in the social sciences, critical visual literacy, and popular press reception of the early twentieth-century archaeologist, Harriet Boyd Hawes.
Deborah Bumbie-Chi is the E-resources Access Librarian at the Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver, and the wider community. She has 10+ years of experience working in academic libraries in various roles and is interested in accessibility, open-access, information literacy, AI, and learning design. She just completed her PhD in Library and Information Science and is working on becoming a certified accessibility specialist.
Ashley Fahey is a Youth & Family Services Librarian at Douglas County Libraries (Lone Tree) who inspires young readers to discover the joy of reading through engaging storytimes and programs. She served on the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) CLEL Bell Awards committee in 2021-2023 and is currently co-chair of the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Mentorship Interest Group. Ashley is a 2022-2023 Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Institute (CALLI) graduate. Areas of professional interest include career mentoring, leadership development, and mental health in library work.
Kara Lucas Is an Outreach Librarian at Front Range Community College – Westminster. She realizes the importance of programs and events as a way of facilitating student engagement. She especially enjoys the research and teaching aspects of librarianship. Kara formerly worked in a public library system and has experience serving patrons from different demographics. She also has an advanced degree in philosophy.
Ibrahim Mohamed (he/him) is a Systems Librarian at Auraria Library, which provides academic resources for the University of Colorado Denver, the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver. He also serves as a board member of the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL). His research interests include Library Services Platforms, Data management/ migration, and leadership in Libraries.