Soooo…..we built the Library Worker Support Network, ran it, grew it, and somewhere in the middle of all that living and doing, we never quite got around to sharing how that very first year went. I suppose that is what happens with you are an organization with only five part-time employees. And to be honest, we were a little occupied — running sessions, training new peer leaders, figuring out year two, and then year three. Turns out, running a national peer support network for library workers is a lot of time and work.
So here we are, almost three years in, finally sharing the Library Worker Support Network (LWSN) Year One Report — a full look back at the first year of the LWSN.
Where It Started
LWSN didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a direct continuation of the 2022 Urban Library Trauma Study, which confirmed what so many library workers already knew from experience: this field carries real trauma and workers were too often left to process it alone. “Self-care” advice and disconnected EAPs weren’t cutting it. When we asked library workers what they would want to see built, to start to make change, LWSN is the answer. We even bought the URL for the group back in 2022, before we even knew what it would look like.
What We Built
In year one, 15 peer leaders came together to build LWSN from scratch — designing training materials, community agreements, and a facilitation model grounded in trauma-informed, peer support principles. The LWSN was built entirely by and for library workers, who continue to build and shape it with each new cohort. By October 2024, sessions were up and running with three general sessions each month, plus dedicated spaces for queer library workers, Black library workers, and managers.
What the Numbers Say
The results exceeded what we hoped for in a first year:
- 195 library workers completed the intake and became members
- Participants came from over 35 states and Washington, D.C.
- 4.74 out of 5 average likelihood of attending another session
- 52 of 53 respondents said they felt heard during sessions — and all of them felt the space was safe and respectful
Most participants work in public libraries (85.3%), with academic library workers as the next largest group — and we see real opportunity to keep growing into other library types. Because this group is for all library workers, at any type and size library. We know that trauma is not just limited to urban, public libraries.
What People Told Us
The numbers are only part of the story. What stayed with us most were the words participants used to describe what LWSN gave them: validation, grounding, and the relief of being around people who simply get it with out having to translate or to prove the work is hard.
Participants also told us that LWSN’s reach has gone beyond the sessions themselves. Some described using our materials and the Urban Library Trauma Study to push for change in their own workplaces, unions, and state library associations — proof that this network is doing more than supporting individuals; it’s shifting the conversation in the field.
Of course, first years surface growing pains too. Participants shared honestly about the barriers that kept them from attending — scheduling conflicts, exhaustion after a public-service shift, and lingering concerns about privacy. We’re taking that feedback seriously, and many of the suggestions, including evening and weekend sessions and longer session times, are already in place for year two.
Why This Matters
LWSN was never going to fix the structural causes of workplace trauma in libraries on its own, but it was built to make sure no library worker has to sit alone with the belief that they’re the only one struggling.
Year one showed us that peer-led support works, that library workers want and need this kind of space, and that there’s a lot more room to grow.
Looking Ahead to Year Three
A lot has changed since that first year, between governmental changes, the gutting of IMLS and more. But we are still committed to being here for our community. As of year two, a lot of what participants asked for back then is already part of how LWSN runs today. We offer a variety of session dates and times, and have expanded session length so it can be flexible based on what the leader and group needs. We’ve kept listening, kept adjusting, and kept showing up.
As we head into year three, we’re carrying that same spirit forward, we almost have 300 people in the network and are now international with Canadian library workers joining in. We’re continuing to explore affinity and role-specific groups so more library workers can find a session that reflects their specific experience. We’re planning specific session around different pressing issues. We’re looking into building out a vetted speaker and trainer series, so libraries and professional organizations have a trusted place to turn when they want to bring trauma-informed, library-literate training in-house. And we remain fully committed to keeping LWSN free and accessible, IMLS funding or not.
None of this works without the people who show up to create this community, either as participants, as peer leaders, as advocates pushing for change in their own institutions. Year one was proof of concept. Year three is proof this is a movement.
One quick note as we make that transition: LWSN will be taking a short break in August while we onboard and train our third-year cohort of peer leaders. Sessions will pick back up once the new cohort is ready to go, and we can’t wait to introduce you to them.
Read the Full Report
This post only scratches the surface. If you want the complete picture: the data, the methodology, the full participant feedback, and where we’re headed next – we would love for you to read the full Year One Report.
And if you’re a library worker who could use a space like this, LWSN is free, confidential, and open to library workers of every type — public, academic, school, and special libraries alike. You don’t have to have “the worst” story to belong here. You just have to want to be in community, because ultimately LWSN is not just an intervention it is a community of care and change.
Learn more and join us at urbanlibrariansunite.org/support-network
We’re here. We’re waiting for you, if you need us.
