15th September 2026 2pm - 3:30pm (London)

90-minute live session

Library work is people work — and people bring their whole lives with them. Distress, frustration, grief, crisis, vulnerability. Over time, holding all of that can take a quiet toll.

This session explores vicarious trauma, the often unspoken impact of caring roles, through a library-specific, compassionate lens. It’s not about diagnosis or “toughening up”. It’s about understanding what’s happening in your nervous system, reducing self-blame, and learning practical ways to protect your wellbeing without losing your kindness or professionalism.

Designed especially for librarians and library staff, this session creates space to name what’s real, normalise the emotional load of the work, and offer realistic tools that actually fit busy library environments.

You’ll explore:

What vicarious trauma is (and what it isn’t)
How emotional labour shows up in library roles
Why kind, conscientious people are often most affected
Early warning signs to notice before burnout sets in
Simple, practical ways to protect your energy at work

You’ll leave with:

Language to describe the emotional impact of your role
Reduced guilt and “why can’t I cope?” thinking
Practical micro-boundaries and grounding techniques
A clearer sense of what you need — and permission to meet it

This is a supportive, non-clinical session grounded in kindness, wellbeing, and the real pressures of library work. You’re not expected to share personal experiences, and everything offered is optional.

If you’ve ever gone home feeling drained, numb, or carrying more than your share — this session is for you.

Trigger warning: This session includes discussion of emotional distress, secondary exposure to trauma, and the impact of supporting people in crisis. The session is non-clinical and supportive, and participants are never asked to share personal experiences. You are welcome to step away or pause at any point.

Join a Live Empower Session