Being a librarian often feels like being invisible. It’s rare that people know exactly what it is we do. Many people believe librarians are two-dimensional beings that exist to shush people or who get to camp behind a reference desk and read whatever they want all day. Sometimes librarianship can feel like a thankless job. No one sees the long hours spent on cataloging, book display creation, or acquisitions.  No one sees the stress of patron-librarian interactions or the frustration of trying to keep library programs afloat. We often feel unseen in our struggles and in our work.

Sometimes our hopes and expectations are dashed; things we would not have chosen happen to us or our loved ones. Sometimes these things are consequences of our own doings. Other times, these uninvited, difficult things, such as changes to or in our jobs, issues with colleagues or patrons, problems in work or family relationships, unanticipated changes in our institutions, or unexpected health issues, seem to just happen.