In Brief

It is inevitable that public librarians interact with mentally ill patrons daily. We do our best to help find information and connect patrons to resources, where appropriate. What is missing from these conversations is that mentally ill librarians exist too. We often mask our own mental health struggles for the sake of helping patrons, or maybe because of sanism and stigma amongst coworkers. Mentally ill librarians deserve to be open about their experiences if they desire. It is not two absolute groups of the well versus the “crazy.” Mental health is fluid, and sometimes even the helpers struggle too.

By: Morgan Rondinelli