Document Type
Presentation
Publication Title
Academic Library Association of Ohio Annual Conference
Publication Date
11-3-2023
Keywords
team building, partnership and collaboration, community, organizational development, staff development, mentorship program, mentoring
Abstract
Transforming library culture doesn’t come easily, especially in times of crisis and the aftereffects. Burnout, mismanagement, and inequities can lead to unhealthy divisions, highlight imbalances, and worsen culture within an institution. Yet, opportunities to innovate arise in times of crisis to escape from unhealthy practices. Team-building activities encourage camaraderie through shared common values and experiences and can bind employees together. As part of a larger mentoring initiative at a Midwestern public university, cohort programming offers a variety of gatherings where members can socialize, both within the library and outside. One goal of these social experiences is to break down silos and to develop those relationships. Finding joy among coworkers in social environments fosters trust, increases worker morale, and instills an ethos of collaboration in a fun and healthy way, instead of relying on the “same old” professional development workshops that have the potential to deepen institutional imbalances. In this presentation, members of the mentoring facilitation team will describe how to identify sources of tension and inequity to develop a social remedy. They will detail past examples of successful social activities, as well as how participant feedback directs future program development.
Recommended Citation
Allbaugh, Grace; Yon, Angela; and Franzen, Susan, "Social Teambuilding in an Academic Library: Inspiring a Balance Between Work and Play" (2023). Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library. 252.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/fpml/252
Comments
The presentation was given at the Academic Library Association of Ohio 2023 Annual Conference: Finding Balance: Hybrid Spaces, New Opportunities & Transformed Missions.