Spirituality in the Library Workplace: Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
Library employees face numerous challenges that impact their mental health and overall well-being. While libraries focus on creating inclusive and welcoming spaces for their patrons, how can we also nurture the well-being of our staff, particularly through practices of spirituality and mindfulness?
This panel will explore the role of spirituality in the library workplace, discussing how it can contribute to mental health, resilience, and a more balanced work life. We will examine the intersection of spirituality and inclusivity, providing strategies for fostering a respectful and supportive environment for diverse spiritual and religious beliefs. Through a blend of philosophical insights and practical recommendations, this session will highlight ways to integrate spirituality into workplace culture in a way that respects personal boundaries and enhances collective well-being.
About the panelists
David Fasman is the Curator of the Beck Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish History and an Assistant Professor at the University of Denver Libraries. His research interests include Nazi-Era Looted Books and the provenance of antiquarian Judaica. David received his MLIS in 2020 and has worked in a variety of archival and library jobs.
Born and raised in the state of Assam in north-east India, Deeptangshu Das (he/him) is currently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Denver and ILIFF School of Theology’s Joint Doctoral Program in Religion. He has been simultaneously working as a graduate student assistant at the University of Denver Main Library’s Research Center for the past three years. His research areas include Hindu and Buddhist Goddess traditions; Religion in Media and Popular Culture; Feminist and Queer Studies. Prior to joining the Ph.D program, he also holds over eight years of teaching experience as Assistant Professor in different universities across India.
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.
Jessi Jones (she/her) is the Collection Development and Cataloging Librarian at Iliff School of Theology and the E-Resources Cataloging Technician at the University of Denver. Naturally, she believes that libraries are vital community hubs where information should be freely available to all. In her current roles, she does her best to maintain diverse and up-to-date collections and that they are readily accessible. Her hobbies include traveling, playing tabletop and video games, and crocheting.
Sho McClarence (they/them), is the Writing Center director at Iliff School of Theology and works extremely close with the Iliff School of Theology’s library department as well as the library at the University of Denver. Sho’s focus is on writing and researching well and has 6 years of library experience in reference and access services. Sho is a PhD candidate studying the intersection of marginalization and spatial theory, and hopes to apply this work to libraries and library resources in the future.