Thriving as a Mid-career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy & Pathways. Brandon K. West & Elizabeth Galoozis, eds. Chicago, IL: ACRL Press, 2023. 358pp. Paperback, $92 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-3941-3)

After being in the same position for more than seven years and potentially achieving tenure, academic librarians may be asking themselves “What is next?” or “What more is there for me and my career in librarianship?” Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy & Pathways aims to provide some perspectives and guidance to answer those questions. By focusing specifically on mid-career academic librarians, this book provides inspiration for those who are interested in continuing to grow, change, and ultimately thrive in their roles. Guidance and inspiration are provided through a variety of perspectives and situations that are described through a blend of personal stories and academic research that allows readers to gain an understanding of how professional lives can change over time. The editors asked authors to “do one or more of the following in their chapters: include marginalized perspectives, address intersectionality, and/or reflect on privilege” (viii).

Chapters are organized into four sections. Section 1, “Staying Engaged in Your Career,” focuses on how authors sustain themselves at mid-career. Authors discuss mentorship, pursuing additional advanced degrees, and creative thinking about career ladders. Andrew Weiss’s chapter “Boredom and the Tenured Academic Librarian: How Being Bored Is an Essential Component of a Successful Career” empowers readers to find new ways to engage themselves in their work, arguing that boredom is normal and can be a beneficial aspect of a long-term career.

Section 2, “The Role of Identity in Shaping Mid-career Librarianship,” is one of the best sections in this book. This section “aims to amplify the stories of librarians who are experiencing mid-career with marginalized identities or abilities” (ix). While all chapters provide unique perspectives and guidance, two are particular standouts. Marta Bladek’s “Working toward Promotion to Full Professor: Strategies, Time Management, and Habits for Academic Librarian Mothers” argues for more tenured faculty librarians to aim for full professor rank due to gender disparities and the benefits full rank provides. Andy Hickner’s “Learning to Thrive—Not Just Survive—as a Librarian with Mental Illness” offers a perspective into Hickner’s own struggle with mental health and how workplace culture and personal practices can improve the lives of librarians with mental illness.

Section 3, “Being Your Own Advocate,” focuses on strategies for navigating different work environments and, as the title suggests, navigating for yourself. While most of the chapters focus on advocating for yourself and your needs, admittedly a necessary skill, I especially liked Megan Palmer, Rachel Keiko Stark, Maggie Albro, and Jenessa McElfresh’s “Addressing Incivility as a Mid-career Librarian: How to Advocate for a Bully-Free Library.” In contrast to the other chapters in this section, this chapter provides strategies for advocating on behalf of others in your workplace. Strategies include direct intervention, education, and long-term strategic planning.

Section 4 grapples with a question many of us face: Should we be the boss? Perhaps it is a requirement when discussing options at mid-career, but there is a section on moving into leadership and administration. This section differs from other resources on the topic in that the authors do not push library leadership as the “right” next step in librarianship. Authors provide a range of ways to lead, from informal leadership (chapter 23) to an example of rotating department heads (chapter 21).

An important thread throughout the chapters is the vastly different experiences one can have as a mid-career librarian. The editors specifically chose to include the word “thriving” in the title because they believe, and the authors agree, that everyone deserves to feel that they are thriving at work, and this collection offers several different ways to thrive. There is no “right way” to move forward during mid-career, but taking time to think through and articulate your values and interests will help identify ways to thrive—even if that means changing positions or institutions.

While this is an excellent resource, a few issues should be acknowledged. As in the field of librarianship, there are many more cis, white, hetero authors than those from other groups, even though the editors tried to make room for marginalized voices. I look forward to future editions that may include more underrepresented authors adding important perspectives to the mid-career conversation. In section 3 (and sprinkled throughout the book), many authors described using their privileges to advocate for others. However, only one chapter explicitly discussed advocating for others. Perhaps this topic is outside the scope of this book, but with so many authors mentioning advocacy for others I would have liked to see more explicit discussions.

Each chapter may not resonate with every mid-career librarian, but there are certainly at least several chapters that will provide encouragement and ideas for a path forward. Anyone struggling in mid-career should explore the ideas in this book. “Early career” librarians who like to plan ahead and want to see how the future may look would also benefit from browsing some chapters. Although this is the kind of book readers may approach by choosing only the sections whose titles interest them or relate to their experiences the most, librarians at all levels can gain a lot by reading through all the chapters. — Clarissa Ihssen, American University