Conference on Academic Library Management

The events of the last 18 months have had significant lasting effects on individuals and communities worldwide. Nearly everyone has been impacted by the ongoing social, cultural, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic while many also have felt the continued inequities of systemic racism. These events, along with other public and private events, that are experienced by individuals are traumatic. Trauma-informed leadership and management is an evolving model of support and interventions that organizations can adopt to more fully support employees within their organizations. According to SAMHSA, “a program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.” Drawing upon existing organizational frameworks for supporting trauma in the workplace, this presentation will explore a library-based framework and continuum for developing a trauma informed organization. Presenters will further contextualize their management and leadership activities and approaches within this framework. After engaging in this presentation, participants will be able to define trauma-informed practices, explain how trauma-informed strategies can support the individuals in their organizations and communities served by their organizations, and identify both practices and strategies they can leverage in their own institutions.