While substantive change needs to happen at the systemic level to adequately support U.S. library staff, we offer these affirmations and mindfulness resources for library staff.

Mindfulness for Librarians by Massachusetts Library System: This page includes FB groups, blogs, books, and presentations on mindfulness practices for librarians.

This page contains our self-care discussion prompts and guidance for student in our Trauma-Informed Librarianship course.

Affirmations for Library Staff:

• I care for myself.  

• I take a break when I need one.  

• I make a difference in the world.  

• I am courageous.   

• My happiness is important.   

• I deserve time for myself.   

• What I can do, I will do.   

• I am allowed to take care of my needs too. I am as important as the people I care for.  

• I need to give myself credit for what I do. It takes a very strong person to do what I do, and I should be proud of myself.  

• This job is what I do, and I do it well, but it does not define me.   

• I can do anything, but I can’t do everything.  

• I am loved. 

Love Kindness Meditation

This meditation practice is a combination of various versions of the Love-Kindness practice.

I’d like to invite you to find a comfortable seat with both feet planted on the floor, spines erect, but relaxed. I invite you to close your eyes if that feels OK, or keep the eyes open and soften the gaze. 

Let’s now take our attention to the sensations of breathing, following the in-breath as it travels through the nostrils, expands the chest, and settles in the belly. Follow the out-breath as it travels back from the belly to the chest and out through the nostrils. 

As you sink into this practice, let’s acknowledge the thoughts that may be coming to the surface. We’ve talked about some tough topics this past hour, and now is a time to let the mind settle and find some peace. When you feel a thought come up, you can acknowledge it and let it pass through. 

Now, we’re turning to a loving-kindness practice. Allow yourself to remember and open up to your basic goodness. Remember times when you’ve been kind or generous, or recall your natural desire to be happy. 

Begin, now, to wish yourself well by extending words of love and kindness yourself:

May I be happy

May I be safe

May I be healthy, peaceful, and strong

May I give and receive appreciation 

And as you experience this love, notice the feeling in your body, maybe a feeling of warmth in yourthe face, maybe a smile, a sense of expansiveness. Rest in this feeling of open, unconditional love for a few minutes. 

Now, extend loving-kindness kindness specifically to those among our fellow human beings across the globe. May we affect the changes needed so that you can be filled with loving kindness; 

We send to them the message:

May you be happy

May you be safe

May you be healthy, peaceful and strong

May you give and receive appreciation. 

Now, allow your awareness to open out in all directions, to yourself, a loved dear one, a neutral person, and a difficult person; and to all beings. May all beings be filled with loving kindness. 

And, let go of this loving-kindness practice and gather your attention. Focus back on the breath, resting in the rhythmic sensation of the inhale and exhale as best you can, allowing thoughts and feelings to fall away. And just being, with an awareness of the sensation of breathing. Breathing in, I know that I’m breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I’m breathing out.

Now, end this practice by gently opening your eyes.