Changes

Fobazi is a former librarian, now a second-year PhD student at University of Illinois-Champaign. An excerpt from her bio reads "Fobazi Ettarh’s research is concerned with the relationships and tensions between the espoused values of librarianship and the realities present in the experiences of marginalized librarians and library users. In 2018, she coined the term and defined the concept of “vocational awe,” which describe, “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries as institutions are inherently good and sacred, and therefore beyond critique.” In her article [https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/ “Vocational Awe: The Lies We Tell Ourselves,”] she describes how vocational awe can lead to burnout and a sense that one’s own self-care is less important than the work being done. Although written before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ettarh’s words have resonated with many library workers throughout the nation in the current moment, as we strive to serve our patrons and our profession as best we can amidst the competing demands of home, work, and health. Her research has been covered in numerous outlets and she consults in library and corporate contexts on labor, identity, and diversity. She is also the creator of the open-access video game Killing Me Softly: A Game About Microaggressions. "