Abstracts
Abstract
The demands of public library work have intensified, placing strain on both frontline staff and the leaders responsible for supporting them. Emotional labour—the regulation of emotions required in daily work—remains underexplored in library and information sciences research, particularly regarding how leaders manage their own emotional labour while supporting frontline staff. This study examines what library leaders know about emotional labour and how that knowledge influences their leadership and support for staff. Interviews with 27 leaders from three large Canadian public libraries reveal that leaders play a crucial role as middle managers, balancing staff well-being with organizational expectations. As authentic leaders, they strive to build meaningful emotional connections with their teams—often successfully—but at a personal cost. Despite their dedication, they have limited power to address systemic challenges such as precarious work, chronic understaffing, and the increasing pressure of societal issues, all of which intensify emotional labour demands. Addressing these challenges requires a collective effort. Libraries must adopt a proactive approach to emotional labour, emphasizing leadership development, shared responsibility, and comprehensive organizational support.
Keywords:
- emotional labour,
- library leadership,
- public libraries,
- authentic leadership,
- middle management,
- organizational support
Résumé
Les exigences liées au travail en bibliothèque publique se sont intensifiées, exerçant une pression à la fois sur le personnel de première ligne et sur les responsables chargés de les soutenir. Le travail émotionnel — soit la régulation des émotions requise dans le cadre du travail quotidien — demeure peu exploré dans les recherches en bibliothéconomie et en sciences de l'information, en particulier en ce qui concerne la manière dont les responsables gèrent leur propre travail émotionnel tout en soutenant le personnel de première ligne. Cette étude examine ce que les responsables de bibliothèques savent du travail émotionnel et comment cette connaissance influence leur leadership et leur soutien envers le personnel. Des entretiens menés auprès de 27 responsables issus de trois grandes bibliothèques publiques canadiennes révèlent que ces leaders jouent un rôle crucial en tant que gestionnaires intermédiaires, équilibrant le bien-être du personnel avec les attentes organisationnelles. En tant que leaders authentiques, ils s’efforcent de créer des liens émotionnels significatifs avec leurs équipes — souvent avec succès — mais cela a un coût personnel. Malgré leur engagement, leur pouvoir reste limité pour faire face aux défis systémiques tels que le travail précaire, le sous-effectif chronique et la pression croissante des enjeux sociétaux, qui accentuent toutes les exigences liées au travail émotionnel. Pour relever ces défis, un effort collectif est nécessaire. Les bibliothèques doivent adopter une approche proactive du travail émotionnel, en mettant l’accent sur le développement du leadership, la responsabilité partagée et un soutien organisationnel global.
Mots-clés :
- travail émotionnel,
- gestion de bibliothèque,
- Bibliothèques publiques,
- leadership authentique,
- gestion de première ligne,
- support organisationnel
Appendices
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