Fobazi M. Ettarh Webinar

Fobazi M. Ettarh, who coined the term "vocational awe" will be presenting a webinar as part of Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race project.

Identity, Burnout, and Vocational Awe

February 29, 2024,       1-2 pm

It has been 4 years since the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how far employers and vocational awe were willing to push workers— past the edge and beyond. And in our rush back to normalcy, vocational awe has been weaponized against even more library workers. If anything, the pressure to be seen and always available has gotten worse since before the pandemic! And those from marginalized groups bear the brunt of this pressure. How can we as library workers stay sane and prevent the burnout from unrealistic expectations from our library administrators, boards, colleagues, community, and even ourselves? Come and learn from the librarian-scholar who coined the term vocational awe about how to maintain your authentic self at work, while preventing burnout and a total subsumption of self.

Register here  

Presenter: 

Fobazi M. Ettarh has worked in school and academic libraries, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign as well as working as a consultant and independent scholar for library organizations. In 2018, Fobazi M. Ettarh coined the term and defined the concept of ‘Vocational awe,” which describe “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries as institutions are inherently good and sacred, and therefore beyond critique.” Her critical work on libraries, labor, and identity has been published in a variety of locations and she has been a keynote presenter at national conferences and summits.