WPL Eastside Branch
The Cost of Caring? Staying Well While Helping Others in Public Library Work
March 7, 2025. 9:30am to 12:30pm. WPL Eastside Branch.
Slide Deck and Handouts
Click here to download a note-taking PDF of the slide deck.
Action Plan worksheet
Types of Boundaries worksheet
A Trauma Exposure Response Framework - checking in on the many ways trauma exposure can affect us
Professional Quality of Life Measure (PROQoL) - gives you a score in vicarious trauma, burnout, and compassion satisfaction
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale - specific measure of how trauma exposure has affected you. High scores should consult with a helping professional (physician, therapist, etc.)
Self Care in Your Workplace and Personal Life Questionnaire - great ideas on specific tweaks to make in our daily lives that make a significant impact, especially cumulatively
Mental Health Continuum Self-Check Tool - click on the signs and symptoms you’re experiencing to build a picture of where you’re at overall on the continuum
Self-Assessment Tools
Other Resources
Here are the resources mentioned in the workshop:
Kitchen Table Wisdom by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen
Librarians Face Crisis of Violence and Abuse (NYT article)
Trauma, Book Bans, and Libraries: A Resource Guide for Library Workers, Library Supporters, and Beyond
The State of Mental Health in Canada 2024 (CMHA Report)
“Palaces for the People:” Mapping Public Libraries’ Capacity for Social Connection and Inclusion (McMaster University Report)
Low-Impact Debriefing Protocol
Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern
Boring Self Care Drawing Celebrate Everyday Mental Health Victories
When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress (book) by Dr. Gabor Mate
PROQOL.org (Professional Quality of Life Scale questionnaire)
The Window of Tolerance and Emotional Regulation (video)
**Here’s an expanded explanation about the Window of Tolerance. If you scroll down about halfway, you’ll see a couple of sections that might be particularly relevant. One is called Self-Care Strategies for Working with Hyperarousal and the next is Self-Care Strategies for Working with Hypoarousal.
Why Asking for Help is Hard but Important (article)
Communicating Common Boundaries Worksheet
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself and The Set Boundaries Workbook by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Witnessing Our Collective Ethics (values discussion exercise) by Dr. Vicki Reynolds
Further Learning
Some of you asked questions in the survey we won’t get to discuss during the session. Here are some of my thoughts on those questions, but feel free to email me any time with follow-up questions (sarah@openmindsmentalhealth.ca).
Boundaries Around Emotional Labour: Here’s a video containing some great ideas for boundary phrases when dealing with challenging, aggressive, rude, etc. customers. Talks about how to stay professional while being assertive. And this article about Managing Emotionally Charged Client Interactions has some really useful strategies.
De-Escalation: Here are a few de-escalation essentials from a recent workshop I did for a drop-in centre. And here is a Pocket Guide to De-Escalation in Libraries. I’m also a fan of what’s called the Hot Walk and Talk Protocol which is a way we can support each other when things have gotten heated.
Not taking things personally: This is a great chart outlining recommendations for viewing & managing challenging situations through a trauma-informed lens. And this is a more general set of tips for working toward taking things less personally. It is written for adults with ADHD, but has useful info for anyone.
Third Spaces: here’s a great podcast episode about libraries’ essential roles in our world, with Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How social infrustructure can help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life.