Introduction

Conflict is inevitable in any workplace and libraries are no exception. Staff and users’ diverse needs and expectations can often lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. This chapter explores effective conflict resolution strategies explicitly tailored for library environments. I aim to provide librarians and library staff with the tools and understanding necessary to address conflicts constructively, fostering an atmosphere of cooperation and respect. By prioritising kindness and wellbeing in our approach, we resolve disputes and strengthen the community bonds within the library setting. This is essential for creating a positive and productive work environment, ensuring that libraries continue to be places of learning, discovery and peaceful co-existence.

Overview of conflict in libraries

Conflicts in libraries can manifest in various forms and stem from many sources. Some of the most common types of disputes include:

■ Staff conflicts; these arise from interpersonal issues between colleagues, differences in work styles or disagreements over responsibilities and duties. Such conflicts can stem from miscommunication, competition or varying professional opinions.

■ User–staff conflicts: libraries serve diverse users, each with unique needs and expectations. Conflicts can occur over library policies, user behaviour, service quality or resource availability. These situations often require staff to balance policy enforcement with customer service and diplomacy.

■ Policy-related conflicts: libraries operate under specific policies and guidelines, which sometimes can become sources of conflict. This includes disputes over censorship, privacy issues, resource allocation or service access. These conflicts often involve balancing the needs and rights of individuals with those of the wider community.

Introduction

As the world evolves, so must our libraries and how we support our staff. This final chapter explores the essential role of kindness and wellbeing in libraries as we move forward. By focusing on these values, we can enhance library staff's lives and positively impact the communities they serve.

As we conclude our book with this chapter, we understand that introducing kindness and wellbeing into libraries isn't just about changing routines but a more profound shift in mindset and culture. It challenges traditional methods and asks us to rethink how library staff work and interact. Though this journey has challenges, it leads to a more empathetic and supportive workplace, with benefits beyond the library's walls.

Looking to the future, this chapter not only reflects on what has been discussed throughout the book but sets a vision for the evolution of libraries. It's a call to action for libraries to pioneer a work culture where kindness and wellbeing are at the forefront, paving the way for a more inclusive and vibrant future for all who step through their doors. It guides library leaders and staff through the complexities and nuances of this transformation. It explores the shifting needs and expectations of a diverse, multi-generational workforce, the role of transformational leadership and the practicalities of implementing kindness initiatives in a dynamic environment. From understanding the unique perspectives of different generational cohorts to navigating the challenges of cultural change, we will provide insights and strategies to foster a culture where kindness and wellbeing are deeply ingrained values.

In this section we explore the transformative power of kindness and wellbeing in library settings. Offering a blend of practical strategies and thoughtful practices, aimed at creating a supportive and nurturing environment for both librarians and library teams, each chapter is dedicated to balancing operational demands with the wellbeing of staff. Emphasising the importance of compassionate communication, advocating empathetic and non-violent interactions. Additionally, we highlight the significant benefits of flexible working, demonstrating how it can enhance both wellbeing and productivity. This section embodies the philosophy that a library's greatest strength lies not only in its books but in its commitment to fostering a culture of wellbeing, growth and kindness within its community, especially its staff.

Introduction

I have found prioritising kindness and wellbeing the most challenging thing I have done in libraries, both because of the myriad interpretations of what kindness and wellbeing mean and because people think it should be easy, when it is hard. This chapter looks at some difficulties libraries face when making their workplaces kinder and more focused on wellbeing. While it's a great goal, this book has identified many positive reasons. Several challenges can make it hard for libraries to do this successfully. We will explore these challenges and discuss ways to overcome them to help libraries be places full of books and where people feel supported and cared for.

We’ll look at how the behaviour of others and the role of leaders in the library can affect bystander syndrome (Latané and Rodin, 1969) and suggest ways to help staff feel more confident and responsible, such as through mindfulness and promoting supportive leadership. We will discuss what causes the burden of caring for others and how libraries can help their staff through training, balancing personal interests with care for others and creating a work environment that supports their staff's wellbeing. We’ll examine how wanting to succeed can sometimes lessen compassion and look at ways to encourage a more caring approach, including training for emotional skills, creating a culture that values kindness and changing how the library operates to support this.

Libraries, significantly smaller or less-funded ones, often need more money or staff to start wellbeing programmes. We will explore the effects of these limitations and suggest solutions like using their resources wisely, getting the community involved, developing low-cost wellbeing programmes and thinking carefully about how to use their funds.

Introduction

Kind communication, closely linked to concepts of civility and non-violent communication, is a way of interacting with others that emphasises respect, compassion and empathy. It's not just about what is said, but also how it's said. It's essential in any workplace, but it's vital in libraries. In a library, staff work together to help a wide range of people and manage lots of information. Talking to each other and the people who come into the library in a kind way makes the library a better place to work and visit.

Library staff often have to work as a team, help people who come in and keep learning new things. All this depends a lot on how well they communicate. Communication can help staff in different parts of the library work better together, make the library more friendly and create a welcoming environment.

In this chapter, we will look at why kind communication is so important in libraries. We’ll focus on non-violent communication as a structured way of being kind. We’ll see how it can make the library a better place to work and make the people who visit it happier. We’ll also share some good ways for library staff to communicate kindly daily. We aim to help everyone in the library – staff and visitors – feel more welcome and happy. This chapter is here to help library workers and leaders understand how to make their library a place where kindness is a normal part of everyday life.

Introduction

The start of everybody's journey working in a library is the recruitment process. Traditionally, this will have been stress-inducing, candidates unable to show their best side as they are trying to navigate unkind processes where adverts may close early, job application forms are all different, interviews are arranged at short notice with no idea who they are meeting or where to go. They are expected to be at their best when faced with questions they have no idea about and then, after all that, they wait days to find out if they have got the job. This can hugely impact the wellbeing of the candidate by stressing them out, especially as there may be many reasons that they are looking for a new job, some of which could be fundamental to their lifestyle such as financial or family needs.

We will address post-recruitment practices, highlighting the importance of feedback and relationship-building with candidates. Challenges and practical solutions to help implement kind recruitment in various organisational contexts will be discussed. The chapter will conclude with methods to measure the impact of kind recruitment on the organisation and its employees, ensuring that the practice of kindness remains a core element in the recruitment strategy. Additional resources and reflective questions will be provided to encourage the reader to engage actively with the concepts and integrate them into their own recruitment practices.

Reflective questions

■ How does your current recruitment process align with the principles of kindness and fairness?

■ Reflect on a recent recruitment exercise you conducted or participated in. In what ways could it have been more candidate-centred?

Introduction

The phrase ‘I just did what anyone else would do’ is often associated with acts of remarkable courage. The prevailing attitudes in many workplaces could be improved. Common refrains like ‘You just need to be more resilient’, ‘It doesn't sound that bad’, or ‘You cannot win, just let it go’ indicate a culture that shies away from confronting issues (Marcum and Young, 2019). Even in seemingly benign environments like libraries, I have seen first-hand how deep-rooted problems can undermine efforts to nurture wellbeing.

Despite organisational declarations of integrity and honesty, the harsh reality can be starkly different. It is startling that 69% of whistleblowers risk job loss and blocklisting, even with protective policies (Marcum and Young, 2019). This toxic atmosphere extends beyond whistleblowers, subtly affecting employee morale and causing moral distress. As Ahmad and Klotz (2020) observed, unethical behaviour tends to have a more profound effect on employee wellbeing than ethical behaviour, underscoring the importance of conserving resources for maintaining employee wellness. Any organisation is only as good as the worst behaviour it tolerates.

To counteract this toxicity, we must champion courage and kindness. Toxic workplaces, riddled with silence and fear, hinder open communication and personal expression, leading to a stifling work culture (Schilpzand, De Pater and Erez, 2016). This impedes organisational growth and drives away nontoxic staff, potentially leading to elevated sickness rates, as reported by the CIPD in 2022.

Welcome to a transformative journey that redefines our approach to work in libraries and workplaces in general, reshaping our professional practices and how we think and interact with each other. This book isn't merely a collection of theories; it's a call to action, urging us to revolutionise our workplaces into spaces where kindness and wellbeing are deeply embedded into every aspect of our daily lives.

My fascination with kindness and wellbeing began as an exploration of theory. It quickly became a profound realisation: the principles underlying these concepts are deeply intuitive and remarkably simple to implement, provided there is a genuine commitment at the organisational level. This realisation made me commit to improving workplaces for everyone, starting with those I know best: libraries.

Looking back, I realise my understanding of kindness at work and its impact on wellbeing started at the University of Brighton. There, something simple like making tea for each other brought us together. We’d have tea breaks where we’d chat and laugh, which made us feel like a team. These small things showed how much we cared for each other and the camaraderie was something I saw in other library teams who similarly made the effort to connect. There was trust, safety and respect for each other's strengths. Another significant aspect of my early work life was flexibility in working hours, a cornerstone of my wellbeing philosophy. This freedom, exemplified by always having the desk covered and contented students, reinforced trust and commitment, emphasising that small acts of kindness and trust enrich a workplace.

Introduction

You may have heard that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’, but what does it do to wellbeing? It eats it for lunch, dinner and every snack. During my working life, I’ve witnessed first-hand the profound impact that workplace culture can have on every part of a library – from the wellbeing of its employees to its overall effectiveness. Within an organisation, culture is not an abstract concept but a living, breathing entity that shapes our daily experiences and long-term outcomes. It can change and evolve and when leaders aren't mindful of this, it can often change for the worse, but toxic cultures are the focus of a subsequent chapter. This chapter explores the complex interplay between workplace culture and the twin virtues of kindness and wellbeing. I aim to show you the unique challenges and opportunities librarians and staff encounter when fostering a work culture rich in kindness and conducive to wellbeing.

Can culture really affect wellbeing?

In 2022, Huhtala et al. reported on a longitudinal study of the impact of ethical organisational culture on the wellbeing of leaders. In this study, they used the Conservation of Resources (COR) model (explored in detail in Chapter 2) to examine the impact of an ethical culture on the wellbeing of their leaders. Leaders in organisations with a strong ethical culture reported better wellbeing. Specifically, they experienced lower levels of ethical dilemmas, stress and burnout and higher levels of work engagement. Over time, these positive factors slightly improved. The improvements were not as substantial as the negative impacts seen in environments with weak ethical cultures.

Introduction

I really believe if we invest in our teams and ensure they are given every opportunity to develop and grow, we will be doing our best for them and the services we offer. Simply put, the world around us is developing constantly and if we invest in our teams, we will find that they become skilled, engaged and in turn their wellbeing will improve. This chapter explores the crucial role of personal development for library staff, emphasising how these aspects significantly influence their contribution to a positive workplace culture. It argues that nurturing individual growth benefits the staff and enhances the library's overall service quality and environment. It will also explain how to integrate key wellbeing models – ASSET, PERMA, JD-R and PsyCap – into library staff's personal development and self-care, exploring how these models can enhance their contribution to a positive workplace culture and improve overall wellbeing.

What happens if we don't invest in personal development?

A possible result of not investing in personal development is that our teams will rust out (Howard, 1989). Rust-out happens when someone is not feeling challenged or interested in their job anymore, causing them to be less productive and lose enthusiasm. Another result could be the team struggling to get roles elsewhere because they are deskilled and become increasingly resentful of the roles they are ‘trapped’ in, which can create negative ripples.

Freud famously and very apocryphally cautioned against overdetermination – an exclusive focus that blinds people to difference and subtlety – by quipping that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, rather than an embodiment of female objectification or Europe's nineteen thirties waltz into the abyss. In discussing New Horizons as a matter of exploration, this book has suggested that the virtual world can be appreciated from a range of perspectives, in part a matter of the reader's (or player’s) interests and values. In that spirit, this chapter offers some concluding remarks, centred on pleasures, creativity and futures. It represents a sense of why people might write and read about New Horizons, and of course venture into that virtual world.

Playscapes

Animal Crossing is a matter of virtual space, a commercial ‘scape’ for play by adults and minors with varying degrees of expertise and creativity alongside a range of motivations and outcomes that extend from the consolation of routine to co-creation of a stage worthy of commendation for both its aesthetic excellence and facilitation of sociable performance by multiple gamers. It is not a social media platform such as Facebook that in the guise of supporting a global community commodifies the attention of its users by displaying advertisements and mining data about user locations, affiliations, preferences and other attributes for sale to unidentified third parties such as Cambridge Analytica. It is also not a platform that exists solely to facilitate real-world commercial transactions, for example, the digital stock exchanges. There are transactions in New Horizons but they are about pleasure, not about entities such as hedge funds and dark pools.

It is a scape for scholarly attention, both in itself and as one world – somewhat brighter and friendlier – than the expanding galaxy of aggressive computer games that attract our attention and our money. It can be understood as a manifestation of human needs: our desire to be entertained, delighted, occupied, friended and creative. It can also be understood as a commercial exercise: returns from inputs within a global legal framework that fosters the flow of capital and a shared experience based on digital networks and artificial intelligence.

What does the concept of hybrid heroes mean to people and businesses, and how do the notions differ in various cultures? How can we apply the theory, and what are the pitfalls? As we all come from different backgrounds, we discussed our perspectives.

How should we define the concept of hybrid heroes?

What does the concept of the hybrid hero mean for your area of expertise?