Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

4-27-2026

Keywords

slow librarianship, values-driven librarianship, work culture

Abstract

We live in an individualistic achievement society that encourages people to chase external validation by putting the focus on innovation and competition over collaboration and collective care. Many of these dynamics are at play in the library and information science profession, leading to toxic cultures of scarcity, low morale, burnout, and disproportionate harm to BIPOC library workers and patrons. We have the power to imagine new futures that will equip us to better serve our patrons and support our collective well-being. Slow librarianship focuses on relationship-building, values-driven work, quality over quantity, solidarity, antiracism, and reflective practice.

Farkas is a faculty librarian at Portland Community College, where she focuses on instructional design, online pedagogy, and values‑driven librarianship. She is widely known for her long‑running American Libraries “In Practice” column (2007-2021) and her influential blog Information Wants to Be Free, where she explores issues of technology, equity, and reflective practice. Farkas has been recognized with numerous professional honors, including the LITA/Library Hi Tech Award for Outstanding Communication (2009) and the ACRL Instruction Section Innovation Award (2014). She is a frequent national and international speaker, author, and advocate for slow librarianship and creating more humane, equitable library workplaces.

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