Thrive Core

08/23/2026

"Non-verbal communication is context-dependent, strongly cultural, very different for neurodiverse people, and far less useful as a diagnostic tool than popular books or LinkedIn articles would claim. And there’s a bigger problem: it’s not just that the evidence to support a lot of this body language advice is weak, it’s that the popular advice functions as a normative tool – it teaches people to confirm and perform a narrow set of usually Western, neurotypical norms, and it licenses the hiring manager or the leader to judge people who can’t or won’t adhere to those norms."

Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication There’s a whole industry, and a lot of terrible advice, built on the promise that we can read people’s minds through their “body language”. Common tropes include things like averted eyes or a lack of […]

08/14/2026

Burnout and Psychological Safety: Intertwined Challenges in Library Management in Librarianship Beyond the Textbook

I'm thrilled to share that I contributed a chapter, "Burnout and Psychological Safety: Intertwined Challenges in Library Management: in Librarianship Beyond the Textbook: A Practical Guide for Real-World Challenges, edited by Nay Keppler. Libraries are multifaceted and constantly changing. Every public, academic, school, and special library has its own unique needs in addition to the shared ones. This book is about the skills, techniques, and mindsets that benefit library staff across all of those settings but that don't always get their own dedicated space....

I’m thrilled to share that I contributed a chapter, “Burnout and Psychological Safety: Intertwined Challenges in Library Management: in Librarianship Beyond the Textbook: A Practical Gu…

08/10/2026

Rest, Resilience, and Regrounding: Reflections from the COSLA CE Coordinators Workshop

Last week I had the privilege of facilitating Rest, Resilience, and Regrounding for the Continuing Education Coordinators of COSLA (the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies). I'm still riding the good energy from it, so I wanted to share a few reflections here. I forgot how much I enjoy doing this work in person. Since 2020, so much happens over screens, and I love that connection too, but there is a different energy to a room full of people who show up, sit with hard questions together, and are willing to be a little vulnerable in service of taking better care of themselves and the people they lead....

Last week I had the privilege of facilitating Rest, Resilience, and Regrounding for the Continuing Education Coordinators of COSLA (the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies). I’m still ri…

08/10/2026

5 Workplace Design Trends & Their Relationship with Well-being

 What does the workspace of the future look like? The future of work is about flexibility, technology and the employee experience. 

08/07/2026

We're closing ThriveLib 2026 the way we mean to go on - with purpose. Nisha Mody, Jennie Garner, Hannah Kukal Curtiss, and Heather James close out three days with a conversation about what it means to move forward.
August 13, 3:30 PM CT
https://thrivelib-2026.heysummit.com/talks/reclaiming-our-profession-moving-forward-with-purpose/

08/05/2026

Community care isn't just something libraries provide. It's something library workers need too. Whitney Oakley and Paola Vilaxa bring this conversation to ThriveLib 2026. Aug 13, 2:00 PM CT

https://thrivelib-2026.heysummit.com/talks/community-care-in-libraries/

08/04/2026

ThriveLib 2026 is One Week Away; Get Your Ticket!

I didn't post a lot about ThriveLib here this year in an effort to keep it separate from the rest of my work, but we're one week away, and I don't think I've shared it at all, so here it goes! ThriveLib 2026 runs August 11-13, all virtual, and this year's theme is Reimagining Library Culture Together. If you've been following me for a while, you know that library worker well-being, sustainable careers, and building healthier workplace cultures are topics I care deeply about....

I didn’t post a lot about ThriveLib here this year in an effort to keep it separate from the rest of my work, but we’re one week away, and I don’t think I’ve shared it at al…

08/03/2026

What Are We Saying Yes To? Consent, Capacity, and Collective Care in Work and Life, A Talk by Celi Torres
August 13, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT

This session explores a consent-based framework for understanding how we give, receive, and make agreements at work, in community, and in personal relationships. Agreements are made and tested in every facet of our lives, whether they be at work, in community, or with loved ones. This session explores the Wheel of Consent™ for understanding how we make and maintain these agreements.

We will examine how unclear and ambiguous agreements show up in library work, particularly under conditions of burnout, limited capacity, and power dynamics. Rather than framing boundaries as an individual responsibility, this session centers collective care and systemic awareness. Participants will be invited to reflect on where consent is assumed rather than expressed, how role expectations shape what feels possible, and how institutions can unintentionally rely on overextension.

This is an exploratory, trauma-informed space. The session does not require personal disclosure, though welcomed, and acknowledges real-world constraints. Participants will leave with shared language, reflection tools, and practical ways to approach requests and agreements with clarity and sustainability.

https://thrivelib-2026.heysummit.com/talks/what-are-we-saying-yes-to/

07/31/2026

Worth Staying For: The Imperfect Progress of Reimagining Library Culture
A Talk by Kai Desir and Rachel Vacek

August 13, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT

Most library workers already know the gap between how institutions say they support staff and what people actually experience day to day. That gap has real consequences: library workers are navigating unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and institutional uncertainty, and when organizations fail to address the conditions driving people away, they pay for it. Replacing staff is expensive. Losing institutional knowledge, momentum, and morale costs even more. Drawing on their experience as a department head and associate dean, Kai Desir and Rachel Vacek make the case that building a healthier culture is not a soft priority — it's a strategic and financial one. This session examines how library culture shapes the everyday experience of joy, balance, and boundaries at work, and what it takes to reimagine it. Participants will leave with practical frameworks for protecting joy, creating sustainable ways of working, and taking meaningful first steps toward a culture that honestly acknowledges capacity and supports people in doing their best work.

https://thrivelib-2026.heysummit.com/talks/worth-staying-for/

07/30/2026

We're building out our freebies for ThriveLib 2026 and we want to hear from you! Last year we offered coloring pages, bingo, and a stress management plan. What would you love to see this year?

Drop your ideas in the comments, send us a DM, or email us at [email protected]. We're listening!