The Mindful Librarian: Connecting the Practice of Mindfulness to Librarianship explores mindfulness, approaching it in such a way as to relate specifically to the many roles or challenges librarians face. Coinciding with the increased need to juggle a variety of tasks, technologies, ebooks, and databases, the new Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy, and the challenges faced by solo librarians in school libraries which have suffered cutbacks in help in recent years, the time is exactly right for this publication. The authors hope to be helpful in some small way towards improving the joy and quality of life that librarians and library science students experience in their personal lives and jobs. The loftier goal would be to create a new lens from which to view librarianship, having a transformative impact on readers, and opening a new dialog within the profession. The topic of mindfulness is not new; it has been connected to various religious traditions in a wide variety of ways for centuries, most notably Buddhism. In the latter part of the 20th century, however, a secular version was popularized largely by the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his work on MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) at the University of Massachusetts's Medical School. The medical benefits and the overall quality of life improvements from its adoption have exploded in recent years, in particular, the last two decades which have seen mindfulness traditions incorporated into education to a greater degree and with very positive results. - Presents the only current LIS book that covers this topic in a way that applies directly to librarians - Provides a topic that will be appealing to librarians, as it speaks to the pressures of budget cuts and consumer culture being felt across the academy - Seeks to improve the joy and quality of life that librarians and library science students experience in their personal lives and jobs

As more librarians commit to individual and sustained reflection and practices in their own lives, those approaches can expand to include the communities they serve. This collection offers more than a dozen in-depth examples of mindfulness in action.

Complement efforts in the classroom to work on social-emotional learning and understand the affective needs of young people in library settings. Given the national climate of anxiety and fear, climbing diagnoses of neurological difference, and overall sensitivity, fewer young people come to school able to self-soothe. Building on the work of Nel Noddings, Lynne Evarts, and Meghan Harper, this book focuses on the deliberation, quiet, and reflection sometimes described collectively as mindfulness. From breathing exercises to meditation, mindfulness exercises can be a coping mechanism for at-risk students, and librarians can create an environment, away from the classroom, in which students can explore their abilities to regulate and control their social and emotional responses, skills that underpin information retrieval and analysis. The role of school libraries in promoting mindfulness in the twenty-first century could parallel the quest for intellectual stimulation and self-improvement that informed the public libraries movement in the late nineteenth century. Providing practical suggestions for working in concert with classroom teachers, school counseling staff, and community partners, this guide will inform librarians' practice by increasing awareness of how to create a nurturing space for students in the school library.

"'The 360 Librarian' defines a framework for practicing librarianship with critical reflection, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence. It can help you become more purposeful in your daily interactions with students, faculty, and staff, and create pathways to authentic engagement. An engaged library practice consists of continual give-and-take, careful assessment of yourself and others, and full-circle situational awareness. The 360 framework details five steps: 1. Mindful Practice 2. Emotional Awareness 3. Engaged Communication 4. Empathetic Reflection and Action 5. Reassurance. Each step includes practical activities for your mind, body, and spirit to enhance and practice each skill, as well as case studies and practical essays from librarians and educators in universities around the country. The tools in "The 360 Librarian" can help you acknowledge what is happening in the moment, respond with empathy and compassion, engage in positive practices to engender change, and fully honor your commitment to your students, your colleagues, and to the profession"--

Enter the Personal Librarian, a flexible concept that focuses on customizing information literacy by establishing a one-on-one relationship between librarian and student from enrollment through graduation

Complement efforts in the classroom to work on social-emotional learning and understand the affective needs of young people in library settings. Given the national climate of anxiety and fear, climbing diagnoses of neurological difference, and overall sensitivity, fewer young people come to school able to self-soothe. Building on the work of Nel Noddings, Lynne Evarts, and Meghan Harper, this book focuses on the deliberation, quiet, and reflection sometimes described collectively as mindfulness. From breathing exercises to meditation, mindfulness exercises can be a coping mechanism for at-risk students, and librarians can create an environment, away from the classroom, in which students can explore their abilities to regulate and control their social and emotional responses, skills that underpin information retrieval and analysis. The role of school libraries in promoting mindfulness in the twenty-first century could parallel the quest for intellectual stimulation and self-improvement that informed the public libraries movement in the late nineteenth century. Providing practical suggestions for working in concert with classroom teachers, school counseling staff, and community partners, this guide will inform librarians' practice by increasing awareness of how to create a nurturing space for students in the school library.

Filled with beneficial advice on every page, this resource will help libraries be better workplaces for everyone.