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Wellbeing Committee

NCLA Wellbeing Committee

Welcome! We are a group of NCLA members who are interested in improving individual and organizational wellbeing in North Carolina Libraries.

Here are our goals:

Support employees on an individual level and provide access to ideas and programs that help alleviate low morale in the library profession.
Encourage wellness and wellbeing in libraries and among library staff, while acknowledging and addressing systemic issues that negatively affect wellbeing, such as racism, sexism, and poverty.
Share ideas, successes, and areas for growth related to wellness programming so that effective programs and strategies can spread.
Host the biennial conference Zen Den, which offers a space for participants to regroup, calm, focus, relieve stress, and practice self-care through guided sessions and an open self-service area.

For more information, reach out to: wellbeing@nclaonline.org

Upcoming Events

ACRL-NC/NCLA Wellbeing Committee Lunch Byte: The Caring Library: How Libraries Foster Student Well-Being

Date & Time:

Nov 30, 2026 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register here:

https://charlotte-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tNQY1R5oQnWWspEJjbQ0wA

Description:

Join us for this Lunch Bytes panel session where we’ll explore the many ways libraries are supporting students’ well-being. Panelists will share their insights into programming, outreach, and other activities that attendees can readily adapt for their contexts.

Panelists:

Jennifer Smith, Reference & Instruction Librarian, Alamance Community College

John Russell, Head of Adult Services, Hickory Public Library

Emma Sobczak Schell, Social Sciences Librarian, Appalachian State University

Olivia Patterson, Student Success Librarian, UNC Charlotte

Suggested Resources

Apps:

Books:

Recipes for Mindfulness in Your Library: Supporting Resilience and Community Engagement by Madeleine Charney, Jenny Colvin, and Richard Moniz (2019)
Yoga and Meditation at the Library: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jenn Carson (2019)
Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron (1994)
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron (1997)
An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life by Dalai Lama (2001)
Polishing the Mirror by Ram Dass (2013)
Walking Each Other Home by Ram Dass (2018)
10% Happier by Dan Harris
Mindfulness (25th Anniversary Edition) by Ellen Langer (2014)
Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff (2011)
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff (2018)
The Mindful Twenty-Something by Holly B. Rogers (2016)
Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and find Peace in the Everyday by Matthew Sockolov (2018)
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Nhat Hanah Thich (1976)

Online Resources:

Videos:

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