In the last four years, library employees have experienced and witnessed the need for workplaces to center their employees' well-being and how vital psychological safety, emotional intelligence, mental health, and trauma-informed care are. In Fostering Wellness in the Workplace, I stated, "No matter where you work, you have a right to a physically and emotionally healthy and supportive workplace" (p. 48). For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) library workers in traditionally and predominantly white institutions, psychological and emotional violence is constant and harmful.

This session will focus on how institutions can center the needs of BIPOC library workers and how BIPOC workers can incorporate self-care and self-advocacy strategies into their practice.

Twanna Hodge is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, College Park College of Information Studies. She holds a BA in Humanities from the University of the Virgin Islands and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. Her research includes mental health literacy; mental health information behavior of Afro-Caribbean immigrants; cultural humility in LIS education and librarianship; Afro-Caribbean students’ and professionals’ experiences in LIS, and more. She has provided presentations and training focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion research and experiences for over seven years. She is an experienced co-presenter, moderator, and panelist and has been invited to present to many audiences. She is a 2013 American Library Association (ALA) Spectrum Scholar and a 2022 ALA Spectrum Doctoral Fellow.