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Experiences of women of color leaders in academic libraries

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Experiences of women of color leaders in academic libraries

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Content Experiences of Women of Color Leaders in Academic Libraries
Valeria Estela Molteni
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 2024

© Copyright by Valeria Estela Molteni 2024
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Valeria Estela Molteni certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Eric Canny
Pearl Ly
Briana Hinga, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2024

iv
Abstract
This study applies critical race feminism theory (CRF) to understand the experiences of women
of color (WoC) who are academic librarian leaders. This study explores the obstacles they
overcame to achieve their leadership roles and the skills and assets they developed throughout
their journeys. The research employs semi-structured, in-depth interviews to capture the
experiences of 15 WoC academic librarianship leaders. The findings of this study indicate that
the challenges described by the women interviewed are in the realm of gender inequalities,
cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue. The study also examines the consequences
of these challenges on their physical and mental health, even at the spiritual level. Nevertheless,
the women also narrate how to navigate these challenges and how they create counterspaces to
support their journey in organizations informed by Whiteness. The study aims to contribute to a
better understanding of the unique challenges women of color encounter in academic
librarianship leadership and the assets they cultivate to surmount these obstacles.
Keywords: academic librarianship, counterspaces, critical race feminism, cultural
taxation, emotional labor, female leaders, gender inequalities, higher education, racial fatigue,
Whiteness

v
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Pearl Ly, and Dr. Eric Canny. I appreciate
your support during this journey. I especially thank my chair, Dr. Brianna Hinga, who, with her
dedication, empathy, compassion, and passion for critical studies, helped me overcome past
experiences and made this intellectual endeavor one of the best in my life.
Thank you to my colleagues and friends in the academia and library profession, who
encouraged me to take this path. To my mentors, colleagues, and professional family in APALA
and REFORMA. Especially to Eileen K. Bosch, Jennifer Dinalo, Anne Linvill, Susan Luévano,
Dr. Marianne Marar, Dr. Raymond Pun, Teresa Slobuski, Elnora Tayag, and Chimene Tucker.
Your support and long conversations before and during the doctorate program enlightened my
journey. Thank you to my mentor in this program, Dr. Rosana Padilla, who oriented me to calm
waters in this journey. Thank you to Carina Perticone for elucidating reflections from the South
and reminding me of other paradigms and explanations for our reality.
Thank you to my study group members: Jeanine Borland Mann, Jackie Cruz, Eleana
Liou, Cheryl Moore, and Sharon Sampson. Your unwavering dedication to supporting me
through this experience has been invaluable—especially Sharon, who reinforced my motivation
to finish through texts, emails, and Zoom sessions. Thank you to Dana Kirchman for our long
conversations about life and reflections about the program and for meeting me in another part of
the world, Buenos Aires, for a coffee and a mindful conversation.
Thank you to my parents, who are not in this universe anymore, but they enlightened the
path from the beginning. My mother’s passion for reading and my father’s values of education.
Thank you also to the rest of my family in Argentina, whom I always miss. Thank you to my
friends Ima Karina Narváez and Natalia de la Chica, who took me for walking, engaged in

vi
conversations about teaching, and made me laugh during this experience. Thank you to Viviana
Paskin, who supported me through bureaucratic endeavors.
Thank you to my sister in life, my dear friend Lia Choco, who listened to my frustrations
and dreams during this journey from the other side of the world, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thank
you to my magic Californian girl, Isabella Mizan-Molteni. Your curiosity and wisdom illuminate
my days in any language we speak. And to my partner from the Attica peninsula, Elias Mizan,
who transformed my life in many ways and made me happy. Thank you, this achievement is also
yours.

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... v
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x
List of Figures................................................................................................................................ xi
List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... xii
Chapter One: Overview of the Study.............................................................................................. 1
Context and Background of the Problem............................................................................ 1
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions.................................................................. 3
Significance of the Study.................................................................................................... 3
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .................................................... 4
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................. 5
Organization of the Study ................................................................................................... 5
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .......................................................................................... 7
Library as Systems of Exclusion......................................................................................... 9
Whiteness and Libraries.................................................................................................... 10
Race and Gender in Librarianship .................................................................................... 15
Women of Color in Academic Librarianship.................................................................... 20
Conceptual Framework..................................................................................................... 26
Summary........................................................................................................................... 28
Chapter Three: Methodology........................................................................................................ 29
Research Questions........................................................................................................... 29
Overview of Design .......................................................................................................... 29
Research Setting................................................................................................................ 30

viii
The Researcher.................................................................................................................. 31
Data Sources ..................................................................................................................... 34
Participants........................................................................................................................ 34
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 35
Data Collection Procedures............................................................................................... 36
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................... 36
Credibility and Trustworthiness........................................................................................ 39
Ethics................................................................................................................................. 40
Chapter Four: Results ................................................................................................................... 42
Introduction of Participants............................................................................................... 43
Navigating Academic Librarianship Leadership Path: Assets.......................................... 44
Navigating Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership.......................... 56
Navigating Challenges in Academic Librarianship Leadership: Emotional Labor,
Cultural Taxation, and Racial Fatigue .............................................................................. 59
Summary........................................................................................................................... 70
Chapter Five: Discussion of Findings and Recommendations..................................................... 73
Discussion of Findings...................................................................................................... 73
Utilization of Cultural Assets and Skills........................................................................... 74
Navigating Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership.......................... 79
Navigating Challenges in Academic Librarianship: Emotional Labor, Cultural
Taxation, and Racial Fatigue ............................................................................................ 81
Recommendations for Practice ......................................................................................... 86
Limitations and Delimitations........................................................................................... 91
Recommendations for Future Research............................................................................ 93
Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 94
References..................................................................................................................................... 96

ix
Appendix A: Interview Protocol................................................................................................. 125
Assets in Academic Librarianship Leadership ............................................................... 125
Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership .......................................... 126
Challenges in Academic Librarianship Leadership ........................................................ 126
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 127

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Participants Characteristics (N = 15) 44

xi
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 27

xii
List of Abbreviations
ALA The American Library Association
ACRL Association of College and Research Libraries
AILA The American Indian Library Association
APALA Asian Pacific American Library Association
ARL Association of Research Libraries
BCALA Black Caucus at the American Library Association
BIPOC Black, Indigenous, and people of color
CALA Chinese American Librarians Association
CRF Critical race feminism
CRT Critical race theory
DEI Diversity, equity, and inclusion
HBCUs Historically Black colleges and universities
JCLC Joint Council of Librarians of Color
LIS Library and information science
MLA The Medical Library Association
REFORMA The National Association to promote library services to Latinos and the
Spanish-speaking
WoC Women of color

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Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Women of color (WoC) in academic librarianship face various barriers as they pursue
leadership positions while nurturing assets contributing to their success (Bladek, 2019). The
following study investigated through semi-structured interviews the assets and barriers WoC
faced in their leadership journeys. Specifically, the research focused on their strategies for
achieving success and overcoming challenges. The study’s critical race feminist (CRF)
methodology acknowledges power asymmetries while emphasizing the wisdom, strength, and
achievements of WoC who have succeeded as leaders in academic librarianship (Grbich, 2013;
Hesse-Biber, 2014).
This study employed a CRF research methodology and semi-structured interviews to
empower WoC by emphasizing their experiences and perspectives. In addition to acknowledging
the complex intersectionality of factors such as ethnicity, gender, and class that affect WoC in
academic librarianship, this approach celebrated their resilience and leadership success. The
study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges WoC encounter in
academic librarianship leadership and the assets they cultivate to surmount these obstacles.
Context and Background of the Problem
Historically, libraries have been places of exclusion, not only in terms of leadership but
also in library services, organizational knowledge, and workforce composition (Homma, 2005).
Although legal segregation of libraries ended in the second half of the twentieth century, the field
of librarianship still employed knowledge systems, such as classification and cataloging, that did
not adequately represent the voices of people of color (Sierpe, 2015).
The American Library Association (ALA) made strides in diversity at the leadership
level, having elected its first Black president in 1976, its first Indigenous president in 2006, its

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first Latina president in 2008, and its first Asian Pacific Islander president in 2021 (ALA,
2024d). Despite population variations in the United States, the profession’s demographics are
disproportionately White, with 86% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Black or African
American, and 5.5% Asian (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Statistics also indicate that
librarianship is a predominantly female occupation, with 82.5% of women (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2024).
Furthermore, research established gender inequalities in academia (El-Alayli et al., 2018;
Falci & Watanabe, 2020; Kersh, 2018; Savigny, 2014; Van den Brink & Stobbe, 2009) and in
academic librarianship (Eva et al., 2021; Galbraith et al., 2019; Higgins, 2017; Howard et al.,
2020). Moreover, these asymmetries are more prominent for WoC in higher education (Apodaca,
2021; Joseph et al., 2019; Taylor et al., 2020) and academic librarianship (Anantachai &
Chesley, 2018; Bright, 2018; Chou & Pho, 2017; Garnar, 2021; Gong, 2024; K. D. Kendrick &
Damasco, 2019; Lee & Morfitt, 2020; Rhodes, et al., 2023). These inequalities for WoC continue
in leadership in higher education (Baxter-Nuamah, 2015; Chance, 2022; Montas-Hunter, 2012;
Morgan et al., 2021; Taylor et al., 2020) and academic libraries leadership (Alire, 2001; Bladek,
2019; Irwin, 2022; Le, 2021). The research regarding the leadership of WoC of color in
academia focused on mentoring and motivation (Jordan, 2020; Montas-Hunter, 2012). Aligned
with this analysis, Olivas (2014) examined the motivations of people of color to be leaders in the
library profession.
Current data shows that people of color cover only 29% of academic librarianship
positions. White women hold 71% of all academic librarianship positions when race, gender, and
level of education are considered (Schonfeld & Sweeney, 2017). Failure to comprehend the
various obstacles WoC face on their path to leadership in academic libraries increases the

3
likelihood of more significant disparities and a dearth of professional representation in leadership
positions. In addition, this study sought to amplify the positive narratives surrounding the
experiences of WoC serving in leadership roles as academic librarians. This research aimed to
document women of color’s distinct paths to attain leadership positions, recognizing that
triumphs and obstacles accompany every successful voyage.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
This research aimed to examine the experiences of successful WoC in leadership
positions within academic libraries. This study explored the obstacles they overcame to achieve
their leadership roles and the skills and assets they developed throughout their journeys.
Specifically, the research studied the barriers WoC face in attaining leadership positions in
academic librarianship and the assets that helped them succeed. By examining the challenges and
assets of WoC in academic librarianship leadership, this study aimed to provide insights that can
inform efforts to support and promote diversity and inclusion in this field. This study has the
following three research questions:
1. How do WoC utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic
library leadership?
2. How do WoC navigate gender inequalities on their path to academic library
leadership?
3. How do WoC navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their
path to academic library leadership?
Significance of the Study
This study sought to comprehend the assets and obstacles WoC face when pursuing
leadership positions in academic librarianship and the assets they acquire throughout their

4
careers. By examining these distinct experiences, this research can promote diversity and
inclusion in academic librarianship and shed light on how to support and provide resources for
WoC to become influential leaders. Ultimately, this research can help establish a more equitable
and inclusive profession where WoC can thrive and contribute more.
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
The research methods in this study draw upon the frameworks of both feminism and
critical race theory (CRT), known as CRF research methods (De Reus et al., 2005). These
methods prioritize understanding the asymmetries of power and intersectionality of participants’
experiences, including factors such as class, education, race, sex, gender, and other forms of
oppression (Grbich, 2013). Additionally, CRF research methods emphasize the importance of
empowering the women in the study, promoting symmetry of power between the researcher and
participants (Cooky, 2016). This approach challenges traditional research methods by prioritizing
participants’ experiences and providing a counter-narrative to colonialism and other systems of
oppression (Delgado Bernal et al., 2019; Salazar Pérez & Saavedra, 2020).
This study used qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews to gather the experiences
of WoC leaders in academic librarianship. This approach is well-suited to capture the nuanced
and complex experiences of the participants. It allowed for a deeper exploration of the challenges
and assets that WoC encounter on their leadership journey. By using CRF research methods and
qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive and
nuanced understanding of the experiences of WoC leaders in academic librarianship.

5
Definition of Terms
Cultural assets are the tangible and intangible elements of culture that define different
communities’ identities under the CRT lens. Critical race theory shifts from deficit views to
learning from the different communities and assets (Yosso, 2005). Therefore,
Cultural taxation is the constant imposition of tasks, services, and labor based on the
cultural backgrounds of women of color (Padilla, 1994).
Emotional labor is adjusting emotions to workplace demands through three dynamics:
thoughts (cognitive), body language, and expressions (Grady, 2016).
Racial fatigue defines the social psychological stress responses that people of color
experience on predominately White campuses (Smith et al., 2007).
Organization of the Study
The dissertation followed a traditional five-chapter model. Chapter One introduces the
topic of women of color’s journey in academic librarianship leadership, the CRF theoretical
framework, specifies the project’s research questions and provides definitions of key terms.
Chapter Two analyzes the problem of practice through a systematic perspective and explains the
conceptual framework of CRF (Wing, 2015). The review covers the following topics: Systematic
exclusion of libraries, the Whiteness in libraries, Whiteness and organization of the information,
Whiteness and collection development, Whiteness and library spaces, race, and gender in
librarianship, WoC in academic librarianship, cultural taxation, emotional labor, racial fatigue,
and burnout and WoCs.
Chapter Three describes the study’s methodology and, in more detail, the theoretical
framework. This study utilizes CRF as the theoretical framework, the conjunction of feminism
theories and CRT (De Reus et al., 2005; Geary, 2016). Furthermore, the research specifies the

6
data collection, which employed semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect experiences of
WoC leaders in academic librarianship. Also, Chapter Three describes the positionality of the
researcher, the characterization of the participants (WoC who are leaders in academic
librarianship with experience in leadership), and the employment of Zoom for the data collection
and coding process of the transcripts of the interviews. In addition, Chapter Three includes
trustworthiness, dependability, transferability, and confirmability in research with semistructured, in-depth interview research projects, and lastly, ethics.
Chapter Four examines and analyzes the findings of the study. This chapter includes the
participant’s descriptions as aggregate demographics, the study’s findings organized by research
questions and their themes, and a summary. Chapter Five offers an analysis of the findings
through the lens of CRF. The findings focused on how women’s cultural assets and talents are
used to address gender inequities in academic librarianship leadership. They also explored
cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue in this field. The findings include the themes
described in Chapter Four. Also, this section includes five recommendations for practice,
limitations, delimitations, recommendations for future research, and a conclusion.

7
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Women of color’s assets and barriers in leadership positions in academic libraries are
complex (Minter & Chamblee-Smith, 2018). There are no isolated events; thus, the examination
requires systemic perspectives (Andrews, 2017; Brown, et al., 2021). To explore the unique
experiences of WoC as leaders in academic libraries, the review that follows considers a variety
of factors, including the systemic exclusion of libraries, the Whiteness in libraries, Whiteness
and organization of information, Whiteness and collection development, Whiteness and library
spaces, race, and gender in librarianship, WoC in academic librarianship, cultural taxation,
emotional labor, racial fatigue, and burnout in WoC academic librarians.
The leadership journey of WoC in academic leadership has numerous points of view of
analysis. Critical race feminism is an interdisciplinary theoretical framework that provides tools
for analyzing the world through an intersectional lens that considers individuals’ complex and
overlapping identities, such as gender, class, education, and race. The central focus of CRF is to
examine the experiences and inequalities of WoC and to legitimize their underrepresented voices
(Berry, 2010; Verjee, 2012). The CRF lens offers alternative perspectives that can reveal
underlying structures, practices, and policies that perpetuate systemic inequalities and exclusion
(Crenshaw, 1991). This lens provides different perspectives to understand and explain the
barriers WoC face as leaders in academic librarianship leadership.
Critical race feminism is a blend of intersectionality feminism and CRT. This theoretical
framework is the convergence of the tenets of intersectionality feminism and CRT, focusing on
the oppression of WoC (Delgado & Stefancic, 2013; Geary, 2016; Wing, 2003). Critical race
feminism proposed shifting the dominant narratives to uplift the perspectives of people of color,
especially WoC (Berry, 2010; Evans-Winters & Esposito, 2010; Geary, 2016).

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• Intercentricity of race and racism: Race and racism intertwine into the cultural matrix
of the United States; they are not isolated behaviors.
• The challenge to the dominant ideology: CRT challenges the notions of neutrality in
the system—concepts of objectivity, neutrality, and meritocracy silence people of
color.
• Commitment to social justice: CRT comprises transforming and liberating the racial,
gender, and class oppression of people of color.
• Centrality to experiential knowledge: CRT legitimizes the voices and experiences of
people of color. CRT utilizes methods rooted in lived experiences such as
storytelling, biographies, narratives, chronicles, and other sources.
• Transdisciplinary perspectives: CRT employs different angles to analyze race and
racism in the United States. To do this, CRT utilizes different theoretical lenses from
other disciplines (history, law, sociology, women’s studies, sociology, and
psychology) to analyze past and current events and systems (Yosso, 2005).
The principles of the feminist theories are that gender is a social construct, that the
personal is political, that the standard gender role is wrong, and that women should have more
power and be included (Geary, 2016). The lens of CRF highlights the unique experiences of
WoC at the intersection of race, gender, and class, emphasizing that their realities may differ
from those of white feminists (Hines-Datiri, 2020; King, 2022; Wing, 2015). All these concepts
relate to the problem of practice, the journey that WoC experience in the leadership path in
academic libraries.

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Library as Systems of Exclusion
Libraries have an image of neutrality, calmness, and provision of equal services (Brook,
2015). But libraries have a history of exclusion regarding services, organizational knowledge
structures, collections, and spaces (Brook et al., 2015; Honma, 2005). In 1896, the Supreme
Court formally legalized library segregation with Plessy v. Ferguson under a separate but equal
premise. The Supreme Court made this decision against the historical backdrop of the Jim Crow
era (Gibson et al., 2017; Wheeler & Johnson-Houston, 2004). Segregation did not only create
divided buildings but, on many occasions, separate buildings with different collections (Malone,
1995).
Throughout this period, segregation was a systemic occurrence. Still, there were also
instances in which the oppressed developed means to resist it, often through the formation of
movements or in specific situations (Freire, 1970). An example of these disruptions was the
academic libraries of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Many were
founded before the Plessy v. Ferguson decision (Malone, 1995). Another example is Bella da
Costa Green, the African-American librarian who organized the J.P. Morgan collection of rare
books and manuscripts (Velez & Villa-Nicholas, 2017). Segregation of spaces and services also
strengthened the community of the oppressed group, which is the case of the public libraries in
Louisville, Houston, and Nashville at the beginning of the 20th century (Malone, 2000).
Additionally, the case of the Puerto Rican librarian storyteller Pulpa Belpré in the public library
system in New York in the 1920s was a clear disruptive experience against exclusionary
structures (Garza de Cortés, 2006; Guereña & Erazo, 2000).
The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education marked the
beginning of the lengthy, laborious process that ended segregation in U.S. libraries, later

10
strengthened by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yet the fight for equality did not stop there.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, voices from the library profession demanded an
end to prejudice and segregation. E. J. Josey, one of the movement’s most prominent figures,
spoke out against the segregation of professional groups at the 1964 St. Louis Conference of the
American Library Association (Josey & Abdullahi, 2002). Josey also founded the Black Caucus
of the ALA (BCALA) in 1970. This institution sought to advance the interests of African
American librarians and library patrons (Echavarria & Wertheimer, 1997).
During this period, other groups also formed associations and caucuses affiliated with
ALA, such as the National Association to Promote Library Services to Latinos, the SpanishSpeaking (REFORMA) in 1971, the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) in 1973,
the Asian American Librarians Caucus (which later became the Asian Pacific American Library
Association or APALA) in 1975, and the American Indian Library Association (AILA) in 1978.
These groups worked to foster greater inclusivity and diversity in the library profession while
attending to their communities’ unique needs and challenges (Echavarria & Wertheimer, 1997).
Much later, in 2015, these five organizations (AILA, APALA, BCALA, CALA, and
REFORMA) formed the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC, Inc.) to address their
common needs (Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, 2024). Despite the creation of these
groups, the dominant White population continues to imprint their culture in various aspects of
the profession (Honma, 2015).
Whiteness and Libraries
The idea that libraries are neutral is a fallacy at the core of the practice of the profession
(Gibson et al., 2017; Honma, 2005; Schlesselman-Tarango, 2017a; Sierpe, 2019). The theoretical
lens of CRT explains that the dominant culture only admits the narration of history and stories

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from White perspectives, as the validation of other descriptions disrupts the system (LadsonBillings & Tate, 1995; Martinez, 2014). This concept is a confirmation of one of the tenets of
CRT, which challenges the idea that systems (legal, educational, political) are neutral and
confronts the notion that equal access to a meritocracy exists for the oppressed populations in the
United States (Lawrence et al., 1993; Martinez, 2014; Misawa, 2012; Patel, 2015). Libraries,
particularly public libraries, are part of the machinery for assimilating immigrants and
transforming them into American citizens (Velez & Villa-Nicholas, 2017).
In addition, CRT established that educational systems are not equal and manifest the
dominant ideology of Whiteness (Battiste et al., 2002; Gillborn, 2014). Whiteness reinforces
White supremacist structures and dynamics (DiAngelo, 2011; Hathcock, 2015). As a concept,
libraries are manifestations of Whiteness in American society (Jennings & Kinzer, 2021). Also,
as a part of the education apparatus, libraries represent these celebrations of Whiteness (Adler,
2017; Lugo Vázquez, 2021; Sierpe, 2019; Wickham & Sweeney, 2018).
Libraries express Whiteness through different spheres: services, the formation of
collections, and the organization of these materials and spaces (Honma, 2005). How libraries
arrange the information is crucial in marginalizing communities’ voices (Adler, 2017; Browndorf
et al., 2021). The field of librarianship utilizes knowledge systems such as the classification and
cataloging of materials, which do not adequately represent the voices of people of color
(Delgado & Stefancic, 1989; Olson, 2001).
Whiteness and Organization of Information
Since the dawn of human civilization, libraries have utilized various search and browsing
systems. Library classification and cataloging systems serve for searching and browsing
(Crawford, 2015). In the nineteenth century, influential taxonomies and cataloging ontologies

12
emerged in the United States. Dewey and Cutter published their classification system and
cataloging rules in 1876 (Gregory & Higgins, 2017). This period coincided with the formation of
nations, the expansion of colonial states, and the positivist desire to achieve a comprehensive
organization of global knowledge (Addler, 2017; Collins, 2008; Gregory & Higgins, 2017;
Richards, 1993).
The Dewey classification system and the Cutter cataloging rules are blueprints of today’s
systems, such as the Library of Congress Classification System and the Library of Congress
Subject Headings (Adler, 2017). Olson (2001) establishes that these library systems have a
presumption of universality; these structures attempted to be universal but, instead, exclude
entire worlds. For example, in the Dewey classification system, classes 800 to 899 are for
literature. American and all European literature have sections (English, Germanic, Italian, among
others) from classes 800 to 880. Meanwhile, all the literature from other regions (Africa, Asia) is
under only one class: the 890 (Olson, 2011).
Another example is how materials regarding race and non-European ethnic groups are
disseminated around the library in different areas and shelves (Addler, 2017). It is crucial to
acknowledge that information organizations’ asymmetries persist today, as databases and search
engines still rely on early knowledge taxonomies (Noble, 2018). Unfortunately, only a few
efforts have challenged or reexamined the fundamental principles underlying the organization
and retrieval of information (Sierpe, 2019).
Whiteness and Collection Development
Another manifestation of Whiteness in libraries is the area of collection development, the
conformation of library collections. Eurocentric focus is also present in the collection of
materials throughout the history of U.S. libraries, especially in academic libraries (Hollis, 2023).

13
Also, collection development policies predominantly form on the selection and curation of White
authors in public and school libraries (Kumasi, 2012; Stauffer, 2017; Wickham & Sweeney,
2018). Furthermore, collecting materials other than English has been a constant struggle through
the years (Solís & Espinoza, 2021). A disruption in this reality is the work of ethnic professional
groups affiliated with ALA (APALA, AILA, CALA, Black Caucus, and REFORMA), giving
awards annually and providing visibility to authors of color literature (Lugo Vázquez, 2021;
Williams & Deyoe, 2014).
Book bans are the most recent manifestation of silencing different perspectives and
voices in library collections. Banning books is a known phenomenon in U.S. society. The Office
of Intellectual Freedom of the ALA publishes an annual report centered around efforts to ban
books in different sectors of U.S. culture (ALA, 2022b). Nevertheless, the number of titles
banned in libraries in various U.S. states (Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and Virginia, amongst others) is far greater than in previous years
(ALA, 2022a; Harris & Alter, 2022; Hickson, 2022). The efforts to ban books in school libraries
align with the process of honoring the White culture since most of the books excluded are written
by or allude to individuals who belong to the oppressed population (Knox, 2020). Banning books
in public, school, and academic libraries is a form of censorship that restricts or eliminates access
to the perspectives and voices of those outside the dominant White mainstream system. (Knox,
2019; Ovenden, 2020; Pekoll, 2019).
Whiteness and Library Spaces
Beilin (2017) established that libraries manifest Whiteness through their spaces.
Academic libraries are usually in the center of the campus, with very imposing buildings in an
ambiance of scholastic architecture. These buildings focus their cosmos on the grandiosity of the

14
Anglo-Saxon culture, leaving other cultures excluded (Brooks et al., 2015). Public libraries’
buildings also resonate with unique ethos in their architecture, defining the space with the
definition of American citizenship (Black, 2023). In addition, taxes and income define the
existence of schools and public libraries. As a result, there are schools and neighborhoods where
libraries do not exist (Honma, 2005).
Disruptions to Whiteness in these areas happened through the intrusion of critical
librarianship, which started to have a critical view of established professional practices in the
nineteen sixties, later to be moved expressly in the 2010s (Nicholson & Seale, 2017). Revisions
of control vocabularies to describe library materials and other information structures are also an
area of disruption to make libraries more inclusive (Gosselar, 2022). The challenge of changing
the Library of Congress Subject Headings “illegal aliens” to “undocumented immigrants” is one
of the hallmarks of this movement. This process was arduous and infructuous, and the Library of
Congress did not implement the change. However, other libraries, including Boulder, Bard
College, and Yale University, made the change (Baron & Gross, 2021). Other initiatives include
efforts to transform the Library and Information Science (LIS) education curriculum and teach
knowledge organization from a social justice point of view (Adler & Harper, 2018).
The work of researchers and practitioners in the field indicates that the decolonization
movement in libraries is gaining momentum (Browndforf et al., 2021; Crilly & Everitt, 2022,
Leung & Lopez-McKnight, 2021). For instance, a small group of librarians at the University of
Colorado Boulder has taken a critical approach to examine the Whiteness of their library
collection, illustrating the potential impact of community-led initiatives (Koob et al., 2023). In
addition, Duarte and Belarde-Lewis have developed strategies to decolonize indigenous
ontologies via digital spaces, emphasizing the significance of indigenous culture and the need to

15
review cataloging practices (2015). It is also crucial to recognize the harm caused by
epistemicide in library practices, in which one population, usually the settler, silences, devalues,
or obliterates entire knowledge systems from other groups (Patin et al., 2021).
Libraries suffered segregation from 1896 to 1954 in the United States. This infringed on
the exclusion of library spaces and services. Furthermore, libraries have stifled and segregated
the voices of people of color through their materials collection, information organization, and
library spaces (Honma, 2005). Regardless, people of color have found strategies to uplift their
voices through organizing library associations, collections, and spaces (Browndorf et al., 2021).
There is still much work to be done to ensure that libraries are genuinely welcoming and
inclusive spaces for everyone, even though these initiatives represent significant steps in the right
direction. The characteristics of the workforce are also a facet of U.S. librarianship that needs to
be analyzed through the lens of exclusion.
Race and Gender in Librarianship
Librarianship has historically been a female-dominated profession in the United States
(Higgins, 2017). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) data, most librarians in
the United States are White women. However, this gender disparity is not reflected at the upper
management level, where males are frequently in control and earn more (Bladek, 2019). The
following section will cover gender and race asymmetries in librarianship (U.S. Department for
Professional Employees, 2023).
Race in Librarianship
Regardless of population fluctuations in the United States, the librarian profession
remains disproportionately White, with 81.2% of librarians identifying as White, 5.5% as Asian,
7% as Black or African American, and 11.1% as Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Bureau of Labor

16
Statistics, 2024). It is crucial to note that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s data compilation does
not include statistics for Native American and Alaska Native communities (Rhodes et al., 2023).
This dearth of representation is troubling because it exacerbates the marginalization and erasure
of Indigenous people in the library profession (Rhodes et al., 2023).
Despite a modest increase in diversity over the past decade, the profession has a long way
to go before reaching parity regarding racial and ethnic diversity (U.S. Department for
Professional Employees, 2023). The American Library Association (ALA) reported that in 2009-
2010, 86.1% of librarians were White, 5.4% were African American, 4.8% were Asian and
Pacific Islander, 0.2% were Native American, 0.9% were of two or more ethnicities, and 2.6%
were Latino (ALA, 2012). These disparities were addressed by recruiting candidates from
underrepresented groups and removing systemic barriers to entry and advancement in the
profession (San José State University, 2024).
There have been decades-long efforts to increase diversity and advance equity in
librarianship (Reese et al. 1999). In the 1970s, professional library associations started
recruitment initiatives to alter the profession’s demographics (Kumaran, 2015). For instance,
since 1973, the Medical Library Association (MLA) has provided a scholarship to promote the
recruitment of minority librarians in the medical field. These initiatives responded to the
underrepresentation of minorities in the profession and the recognition of the need for a diverse
workforce reflective of the communities they serve (Kim & Sin, 2008). The librarianship
profession devised several scholarship programs to increase the number of underrepresented
minorities in the field (Kumaran, 2015).
In 1997, ALA began awarding the Spectrum scholarship program to underrepresented
students pursuing a degree in library science (ALA, 2018). This program aims to increase LIS

17
diversity by providing scholarships and support to people of color. Since 1997, more than 1,300
Spectrum scholarships have been awarded, with approximately 70 students yearly. This
scholarship experience includes financial assistance, leadership development resources,
community-building, and mentorship opportunities. The theoretical framework of this program is
social justice (ALA, 2024f).
Furthermore, every ethnic caucus that is a part of the ALA has sponsored scholarships to
fund the education of its members: AILA, APALA, BCALA, CALA, and REFORMA are some
of the caucuses that make up this group. Also, organizations like the ALA, ARL, and MLA
provide scholarships (San José State University, 2024). These scholarships and fellowships
provided financial assistance and mentoring opportunities to individuals from disparate
backgrounds who would not have otherwise been able to pursue a career in librarianship (San
José State University, 2024).
In addition, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) launched the Kaleidoscope
program in 2000 to encourage the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce in research
libraries (ARL, 2023). Also, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
established a Diversity Alliance initiative in 2017. This program assists with residential
programs for members of racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented. This initiative was
planned to increase the chances for people from various backgrounds to obtain experience
working in academic libraries. Also, the program aims to raise the proportion of members from
various backgrounds working in the profession (ACRL, 2023).
In addition to these scholarship programs, the American Library Association (ALA)
developed two leadership programs to recruit diverse populations. Established in 2006, the
Emerging Leaders Program intended to provide early-career professionals with leadership

18
training and development opportunities (ALA, 2024b). The leadership institute, offered by the
ALA from 2013 to 2019, intended to cultivate the leadership skills of librarians from
underrepresented groups (ALA, 2022).
The American Library Association (ALA) remains the largest and most well-known
professional organization for librarians worldwide, but White individuals have historically
dominated its leadership. Nonetheless, ALA has progressed in recent years regarding diverse
representation in leadership. The ALA elected its first Black president, Virginia Lacy Jones, in
1976; its first Indigenous president, Loriene Roy, in 2006; its first Latina president, Camila Alire,
in 2008; and its first Asian Pacific Islander president, Patty Wong, in 2021 (ALA, 2024d).
Although these efforts have helped to increase diversity in the profession, much work
must be done to eliminate systemic barriers and biases that impede the advancement of diverse
individuals (Brown et al., 2021). In addition, these efforts should be focused on working against
the asymmetries of race and gender inequalities and making a more equitable and representative
profession (Vinopal, 2016).
Gender in Librarianship
Librarianship is feminized labor; 82.5% of librarians in the United States are women
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). This gendered composition is not a recent phenomenon;
Melville Dewey, the founder of the School of Library Economy, favored women for library
school because he believed their domestic inclinations made them suitable for the position
(Gaines, 2014; Maack, 1993). In addition, in the early days of the profession, women in library
director or dean-level positions were paid less because it was assumed they would depart for
marriage (Higgins, 2017). In addition, women were relegated to jobs behind the scenes, while
males dominated positions of superior authority (Garrison, 1993; Maack, 1993).

19
Although progress has been made to reduce the gender gap in leadership positions within
the library field, there are still disparities in library administration. According to a 1999 report by
ALA, women only held 41% of library director positions (ALA, 2007). While there has been an
improvement over the years, there are still gaps in leadership roles (Bladek, 2019; DeLong,
2013; Deyrup, 2014; Le, 2021; Moran et al., 2014). Additionally, despite librarianship being a
female-dominated profession, it has not been able to incorporate feminist leadership styles.
Instead, masculine managerial styles are predominant (Neigel, 2015). Currently, disparities
remain in two areas: Wages and opportunities for advancement.
Despite advances in gender equality, wage and advancement gaps exist between men and
women in librarianship (Bladek, 2019). Wages and promotions are intertwined, promotions are
tied to wage increases, and individuals who are not promoted may be stuck at a lower pay grade
for an extended period (Eva et al., 2021). This situation can be particularly problematic for
women who are more likely to take on caregiving responsibilities, such as raising children, and
may need more time and energy to pursue promotions. As a result, they may be more likely to
experience wage stagnation and find it difficult to progress in their careers (Lombard, 2018;
Lopez et al., 2020; Townsend & Bugg, 2020). Men continue to have better opportunities for
higher salaries and career advancement (Galbraith et al., 2019; Howard et al., 2020). These
disparities demonstrate the need for sustained efforts to promote gender equality in the library
profession.
The demographic makeup of the librarian profession has mostly stayed the same despite
the efforts made to boost the presence of persons of color in the field (Vinopal, 2016). According
to the statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), the library field is still
dominated by White people, with 86 percent of librarians identifying themselves as white.

20
Continuous and continuing efforts must be made to eliminate the institutional hurdles and
prejudices that have hampered the growth of persons from varied backgrounds throughout the
profession’s history (Espinal et al, 2021). In addition to working against racial asymmetries,
these efforts should also target gender inequalities and create a more equitable and representative
profession (Hudson, 2017). Unfortunately, these asymmetries continue for WoC academic
librarians (Morales & Williams, 2021).
Women of Color in Academic Librarianship
Academic libraries are usually located in the central part of any academic campus to
celebrate knowledge, support the academic community’s research, and continue the learning
process outside of the classroom (Shapiro, 2016; Shoham & Klain-Gabbay, 2019). Academic
libraries are not only part of campus space but also part of the academic organizational structure.
Academic libraries usually have college status, and academic librarians are faculty and
participate in the tenure track process (Damasco & Hodges, 2012). The following section will
focus on the characteristics and imbalances of WoC in academic librarianship.
Research establishes gender inequalities in academia (El-Alayli et al., 2018; Falci &
Watanabe, 2020; Kersh, 2018; Savigny, 2014; Van den Brink & Stobbe, 2009) and in academic
librarianship (Eva et al., 2021; Galbraith et al., 2019; Higgins, 2017; Howard et al., 2020). There
is an ethnicity imbalance since the White population holds 76.9% of the positions in higher
education (EOS Foundation, 2021; Taylor et al., 2020). Additionally, the White population
continues to fill most of the positions in academic librarianship, 71% of all positions (Datausa,
2022; Rosa & Henke, 2017; Schonfeld & Sweeney, 2017).
Moreover, these asymmetries are more prominent for WoC in higher education
(Apodaca, 2021; Joseph et al., 2019; Taylor et al., 2020) and academic librarianship (Anantachai

21
& Chesley, 2018; Bright, 2018; Chou & Pho, 2017; K. D. Kendrick & Damasco, 2019; Lee &
Morfitt, 2020; Minter & Chamblee-Smith, 2018). In academic libraries, WOCs experience
emotional labor more intensively than their White colleagues and the burden of cultural taxation
and racial fatigue in their work lives (Alabi, 2015; Anantachai & Chesley, 2018; Bright, 2018;
Rhodes et al., 2023).
Cultural Taxation, Emotional Labor, and Racial Fatigue
Cultural taxation refers to the phenomenon where faculty of color, such as academic
librarians of color, are expected to do additional work related to their culture or identity in the
workplace, often without additional compensation or recognition (Canton, 2013; Padilla, 1994).
In the context of academic librarianship, cultural taxation can take many forms. For example,
academic librarians of color may be asked to serve on diversity committees, work on diversityrelated initiatives, represent their communities in outreach efforts, or provide mentorship and
support to other individuals from underrepresented groups (Anantachai & Chesley, 2018). While
these efforts are essential and can contribute to greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace,
they can also create additional emotional labor and workload for academic librarians of color
(Garnar, 2021).
Emotional labor is adjusting one’s emotions to satisfy workplace demands. It involves
managing and regulating one’s emotions, thoughts, body language, and expressions in response
to professional situations (Grady, 2016). In academic librarianship, emotional labor can include a
range of activities, such as maintaining a positive demeanor when dealing with difficult patrons,
hiding personal feelings during stressful situations, and projecting a professional image in the
workplace (Emmelhainz, et al., 2017; Hernández & Oberlies, 2020). Emotional labor is present

22
in contact with library users (students, teachers, staff, and community), colleagues, and other
organization members (Emmelhainz, 2017; Rhodes et al., 2023).
Academic librarians of color may confront additional challenges related to race and
identity in the workplace, which can have unique and complex implications for emotional labor.
For instance, academic librarians of color may be more likely to experience microaggressions,
discrimination, and stereotype threat, leading to increased emotional labor (Bright, 2018). In
addition, academic librarians of color may feel pressure to represent their communities and
advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion, which can also contribute to emotional labor
(Minter & Chamblee-Smith, 2018). This may involve handling complex and frequently
emotionally charged situations, such as addressing bias or discrimination, without appearing
furious or excessively emotional (Rhodes et al., 2023).
Smith et al. (2007) defined racial fatigue as the cumulative psychological and emotional
toll that people of color experience due to their daily exposure to prejudice and discrimination.
Racial fatigue can negatively affect individuals, including physical and emotional exhaustion,
decreased job satisfaction, and deteriorating mental health and well-being (Chancellor, 2019).
Due to multiple factors, including microaggressions, stereotype threat, and other types of
discrimination, WoC in academic librarianship may experience racial fatigue (Chancellor, 2019).
WoC in academic librarianship may be particularly susceptible to racial exhaustion due to the
additional emotional labor and cultural burdens they experience in the workplace (Young &
Anderson, 2021).
Burnout
Burnout is the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress in
the workplace. The concept has been well-explored in libraries over the last twenty years (Holm

23
et al., 2022). Kendrick has also intertwined low morale with burnout in different areas of
librarianship (K. D. Kendrick, 2023; K. D. Kendrick, 2021; K. D. Kendrick & Damasco, 2019;
K. D. Kendrick, 2017). Despite this, there is to be more about burnout and library leadership
(Batte and Lowe, 2022; Hallerduff and Brook, 2022).
Women of color in academic librarianship might be more vulnerable to burnout (Rhodes
et al., 2023). In addition to managing the emotional labor of navigating the workplace as WoC,
they may feel pressure to advocate for diversity and inclusion and represent their communities
(Arnold, 2016). This can lead to burnout and other adverse outcomes, as academic librarians of
color often deal with the emotional labor of navigating the workplace as a person of color
(Anantachai & Chesley, 2018).
Moreover, academic librarians of color may utilize their cultural assets and experiences
to develop coping strategies in response to burnout. For instance, they may seek community
support, employ culturally specific coping strategies, or engage in self-care practices ingrained in
their cultural traditions (Porter et al., 2018). Counterspaces are one of the strategies to disrupt
burnout.
Counterspaces are secure and supportive environments and acts of defiance against
Whiteness (Case & Hunter, 2014; Case & Hunter, 2012; Comer et al, 2017; Margherio et al.,
2020). The concept of counterspaces has been examined in librarianship. Anantachai et al.,
(2018) discussed the importance of participating in committees and groups that promote diversity
within professional associations and engaging in mentoring and other training opportunities, as
highlighted by WoC during interviews. Conferences that focus on the perspectives and
experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) librarians are considered
counterspaces in librarianship (Masunaga et al., 2022). We here (2023) is an example of

24
counterspaces, a community of people of color that offers support, networking, mentorship, and
workshop opportunities. Another example is Up/root, a publication space focused on uplifting
knowledge in the library profession through disruption and uplifting different voices (up/root,
2024). In the same space of writing collaboration and community, WOC+LIB offers a platform
for writing, publication, scholarship, and professional development for WoC librarians
(WOC+LIB, 2024).
Another example of counterspaces is strategic friendships. Strategic friendship is an
evolution of friendships that occurs in the academic environment. The focus is collaboration and
discourse, which involves honest and critical reflection, disclosure, active listening, and
constructive feedback. The goal is to promote reciprocal personal and professional development
in a non-threatening setting (Sotiropoulou and Cranston, 2023).
Also, slow librarianship can disrupt burnout since it opposes the overwork culture
(Brady, 2023). This concept came from the slow food movement (Farkas, 2021). It emphasizes
intentional and thoughtful practice in library services and programs; it interrupts the continued
rushing of adopting new technologies, trends, or campus initiatives (Glassman, 2017). Slow
librarianship also involves reflection and prioritizing quality over quantity (Farkas, 2021).
Hersey (2022) established that rest is another form of resistance for people of color, not
only a healing method (Hersey, 2022). Whiteness is deeply entrenched within the framework of
capitalism since the individual is regarded solely as a producing entity inside the system. Hersey
said that community rest, naps, and relaxation might be used as strategies to counteract the
negative effects of Whiteness on Black communities. Colón-Aguirre and Webb (2022) proposed
investigating workload optimization to efficiently organize time for librarians, fostering a more
favorable equilibrium between work and personal life. Spencer (2022) proposed a guide to resist

25
overcommitment in the daily work of academic librarians. Rest is the solution for achieving a
more fulfilling personal and professional life.
The coping strategies of academic women of color leaders were examined in the context
of higher education (Baxter-Nuamah, 2025; Chance, 2022) and librarianship (K. D. Kendrick &
Damasco, 2017). Baxter-Nuamah (2015) found that the participants in their study employed
coping techniques that involved cultivating robust support networks, engaging in spiritual
activities, pursuing artistic endeavors, and using music to manage stress. In line with the results
of this study, K. D. Kendrick and Damasco (2017) also identified achieving professional
engagement, enhancing self-care and mental well-being, or resigning from the workplace as
specific outcomes.
Fancher (2023) indicated the benefits of combining radical empathy with ethics of care to
overcome burnout. This author connected the theory of care and radical empathy notions based
on their shared emphasis on understanding, compassion, and relationality in ethical and moral
decision-making. The ethics of care emerged during the second-wave feminism movement
(Gilligan, 1993; Held, 2005). The idea centers around care, which involves a complex web of
relationships and how individuals are situated within them (Branicki, 2020; Higgins, 2020).
The barriers and assets that WoC experiences in their leadership journeys in academic
libraries remain to be delineated. Despite these challenges, many WoC have significantly
contributed to academic librarianship. Over the years, they worked to create more inclusive and
diverse collections, developed outreach programs for underserved communities, advocated for
social justice issues, and created counter spaces against Whiteness (Anantachai et al., 2018;
Arellano Douglas & Gadsby, 2020; Chou & Pho, 2018; Leung & López-McKnight, 2021;
Schlesselman-Tarango, 2017b).

26
Conceptual Framework
Critical race feminism blends the intersectionality feminism theories and CRT. This
theoretical framework is the convergence of the tenets of intersectionality feminism and CRT,
focusing on the oppression of WoC (Delgado & Stefancic, 2013; Geary, 2016; Wing, 2003).
Critical race feminism emphasizes the unique circumstances of WoC whose lives may not be
aligned with the reality of White feminists (Hines-Datiri, 2020; King, 2022; Wing, 2015).
Critical race feminism has the CRT tenets and feminism lens (Berry, 2010; Evans-Winters &
Esposito, 2010).
The feminist lens is that gender is socially constructed, opposes the patriarchy, the
personal is political, critiques the traditional gender role, and uplifts women’s agency and
inclusivity (Geary, 2016). Patriarchy operates at individual, interpersonal, institutional, and
societal levels with different levels of influence (Saini, 2023). The CRT tenets are the
intercentricity of race and racism, a continuous challenge of the dominant ideology, commitment
to social justice, centrality to experiential knowledge, and transdisciplinary perspectives
(Delgado et al., 2017). Critical race feminism views are historical and systematic, and they
inform the areas of the literature review: Libraries as places of exclusion, Whiteness in libraries,
race and gender in librarianship, cultural taxation, emotional labor, racial fatigue, WoC in
academia and academic librarianship, and burnout.
Critical race feminism considers individuals through the intersections that define them
(Crenshaw, 1991). The participants of this study are WoC, a group of women who are beyond the
color of their skin; this term applies to minorities and cultural groups from African, African
American, Alaska, Arab, Asian, Indigenous, Latina, Native American, and multiracial origin
(Gonzalez-Smith, 2014). The social identities of these women are different; these identities are

27
intersected by race, class, education, sex, and gender in unique ways (Romero, 2018; Wing,
2003). Critical race feminism assists in a better comprehension of these different identities and
how they imprint in the reality of the participants of this study. Furthermore, CRT challenges the
deficit research views and is driven to investigate the assets by which the WoC built their
successful journey in academic librarianship (Cooky, 2017). Figure 1 shows the CRF conceptual
framework.
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework
Intersectionality Feminisms Theories
• Inclusivity
• Gender is socially constructed
• Against the patriarchy
• The personal is political
• Critique of traditional gender role
• Women’s agency
• Inclusivity
Critical Race Theory (CRT)
• Intercentricity of race and racism
• Challenge the dominant ideology
• Commitment to Social Justice
• Centrality to experiential justice
• Transdisciplinary perspectives
CRITICAL RACE FEMINISM
Explore the journey of successful leadership careers of women of color in academic libraries
Uplift the voices of academic librarians who are women of color and professional leaders
Cultural assets and skills, gender inequalities, cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue
Deans, Associate Deans, Directors, Associate Directors, Heads, and Coordinators/ Academic Library in any
community college, college, four-year university, or university with five or more years of experience in the USA.

28
Summary
Libraries have been places of exclusion in the United States since the formalization of the
profession and the segregation of educational institutions at the end of the 20th. Century. Not
only do libraries exclude people of color from library buildings, but also through the systems that
identify and organize information. These asymmetries are in the conformation of the workforce,
which is formed by most White women, especially in academic librarianship. Given that
university campuses are spaces of reproduction of Whiteness , WoC experience exclusion
practices. These include gender inequalities, cultural taxation, racial fatigue, emotional labor, and
burnout. The resistance to these challenges results in burnout and leaving the profession.
People of color have developed resistance and countermeasures to the exclusion and
marginalization they have experienced. They have organized library associations, collections,
and spaces to amplify their voices and create more inclusive library systems. In addition, they
built counterspaces such as conferences oriented to people of color, networking, and mentorship
experiences. Through these disruptions, WoC in librarianship and academic librarianship build
professional practices informed by their cultural assets, construct successful leadership careers,
and make them hear their voices over the years. These voices have constructed legacy wisdom to
overcome the Whiteness in the academic library. Nevertheless, the change in the workforce
composition and the increase of WoC leaders in academic librarianship is still a challenge in the
21st Century.

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Chapter Three: Methodology
The following chapter describes the study’s methodology and theoretical framework in
greater detail. The theoretical framework for this study was CRF, which combines intersectional
feminism theories and CRT (De Reus et al., 2005; Geary, 2016). In addition, this section reports
the data collection methodology, which consisted of semi-structured in-depth interviews to
capture the experiences of WoC academic librarianship leaders. This chapter describes the
researcher’s positionality (a white cis Latina immigrant from Argentina), the participants’
characteristics (WoC with leadership experience in academic librarianship), and the use of Zoom
for the data collection, Otter.AI for transcript of the interviews and Atlas.ti for the coding
process. In addition, this chapter discusses reliability, dependability, transferability, and
confirmability in research initiatives involving semi-structured, in-depth interviews and ethics.
Research Questions
The investigation utilized CRF research methods to analyze the problem of practice to
answer the following research questions:
1. How do WoC utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic
library leadership?
2. How do WoC navigate gender inequalities on their path to academic library
leadership?
3. How do WoC navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their
path to academic library leadership?
Overview of Design
Critical race feminism research methods apply methodologies from the feminism theories
and CRT (De Reus et al., 2005). The asymmetries of power and intersectionality of the

30
participant’s experiences of class, education, race, sex, gender, and other oppressions are the
focus of CRF research methods (Grbich, 2013). Also, CRF research methods emphasize
symmetries of power in the relationship between the researcher and the participants through
empowering the women included in the study (Cooky, 2016). In this way, CRF methods
challenge traditional research methods by understanding the participant’s experiences and
providing a counter-narrative of colonialism systems (Delgado Bernal et al., 2019; Salazar Pérez
& Saavedra, 2020; Wickramasinghe, 2009). Specifically, this study utilized qualitative, semistructured, in-depth interviews to gather the experiences of WoC leaders in academic
librarianship.
Research Setting
This study occurred virtually since it interviewed WoC leaders in academic librarianship
in the United States over the Zoom platform. Women of color for this study were beyond the
color of the skin; the term WoC describes women from minority racial and ethnic groups from
African, African American, Alaska Native, Arab, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latina, Native
American, and multiracial (Gonzalez-Smith, 2014). This group includes academic librarians who
are WoC and deans, associate deans, directors, associate directors, heads, and coordinators in any
academic library in any community college, college, four-year university, or university with five
or more years of experience in the United States. Academic libraries vary significantly in size
and level of academic status, resulting in various leadership roles across institutions (Bolin,
2017). At the same time, the percentage of academic library leaders who are WoC is low (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Therefore, the study included leaders at various academic
librarianship levels in different academic libraries to ensure a comprehensive and diverse sample.

31
The Researcher
I am a White cis woman, an immigrant, Latina, a friend, a mother, a wife, an aunt, a
cousin, a traveler, a librarian, an academic, an explorer, and a reader. I am an Argentinian with
European and indigenous ancestry. Part of my DNA has been in the Americas for over the last
500 years, which legitimizes my connection with the land and the Andean earth’s goddess, the
Pachamama. I am from a different world, a different hemisphere, a different continent, and a
different language. I came from a land with opposite seasons and where the water circulates in
different directions. I live far away from the city by the sea where I grew up, far from the South
Atlantic Ocean I miss every day. I built a home and a family in California, on a peninsula
between the Pacific Ocean and a mythical bay. I live in a house where the English, Spanish, and
Greek languages interact daily. The contrast of cultures, sounds, tastes, scents, readings, and
emotions craft the palimpsest of my daily life.
I am a White cis Latina immigrant whose existentialism has been shaped by my
immigration and professional experiences in my Californian world. I am an outsider, a bilingual
person who speaks English with a strong accent. I hold two passports and have educational
backgrounds in three countries—Argentina, Spain, and the United States—all made possible by
scholarships and fellowships. I carry the experience of being both a first-generation and an
international student. At the same time, I am a professional with a network of colleagues in four
professional librarian associations: ALA (2024a), ACRL (2024), APALA (2023a), and
REFORMA (2024). I mentor in both APALA, and ACRL mentorship programs (APALAb,
2024; ACRLb, 2023) and an ALA Councilor-at-Large (ALAb, 2024c). I am a faculty member
who works in a unionized environment. I define myself as an academic; I have been a faculty
and academic librarian all my professional life, a tenure-track faculty member, a tenured faculty

32
member, and a library administrator for six years. Now I have returned to being a faculty
librarian again. I have published articles and book chapters and have presented at professional
conferences. I am constantly navigating distinct cultures; I am privileged to understand different
perspectives to explain these shifting realities (Loya et al, 2023).
My journey guides me to experience and see inequalities in my profession. My
positionality helps me navigate these disparities from other spaces, but I am not immune to them.
The voices describing the disparities of my practice problem stemmed from conversations with
colleagues around the country with similar experiences, researchers from the profession, and data
collected by professional associations and government agencies, including data from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024). I have intrinsic knowledge of these inequalities since I have
suffered unequal treatment in my professional practice in the United States (Alabi, 2015;
Anantachai & Chesley, 2018; Chou & Pho, 2017). Librarianship is a feminized profession;
therefore, one may expect that the profession would promote women across the board (Bladek,
2019; Griffin, 2013). However, I have never experienced this idealized notion of equality since I
am a woman from an underrepresented minority in my profession, and I have repeatedly suffered
barriers to becoming a leader in an academic library (Eva et al., 2021). My sources of wisdom
come from my years of practice, my experiences in different organizations and locations, and my
implementation of feminist leadership principles (Falci & Watanabe, 2020; Higgins, 2017). Even
though I have experienced these inequalities in both worlds I have worked in, my positionality
and experiences living in multiple worlds drive me to find workable solutions to these persistent
issues. My positionality allows me to investigate research data and pushes me to deepen my
conversations with colleagues and professional contacts.

33
Moreover, it is essential to amplify the voices of the women who became leaders in
academic librarianship but often must silence themselves to move forward in their professions. I
spoke to WoC who are leaders to understand their path and the barriers they experienced in their
journey (Black, 2023). I also wanted to offer solutions, not only a narration of the hurdles of the
women I am planning to interview.
This study employed five tools from CRF to center the participants’ voices beyond the
researcher’s own experiences: Reflexivity, prolonged engagement, empowerment of the study’s
participants, intersectional perspective, and ethical considerations. Reflexivity is about the
researcher’s self-awareness and how the researcher’s identity impacts the research (Gillam &
Guillemin, 2018). Reflexivity is the researcher’s continuing self-reflection throughout the
research process, acknowledging the researcher’s positionality, biases, and assumptions
(Lumsden et al., 2019). Prolonged engagement is an in-depth and comprehensive comprehension
of the participants’ perspectives beyond the researcher’s perceptions (Billups, 2021). Also, this
research employed member verification, which is the distribution of research findings among
interviewees to ensure their voices are heard, valued, and accurately represented (Billups, 2021).
The third tool is empowering the voices of the WoC interviewed (Hesse-Biber, 2014).
The CRF methodology established a symmetry of power between the researcher and participants
by legitimizing their experiences, attentive listening, and valuing different points of view
(Grbich, 2013). The fourth tool has an intersectional perspective throughout the process. Women
of color leaders in academic librarianship experiences intersect with multiple factors, such as
race, gender, ethnicity, class, community cultural wealth, and other categories (Sparkes & Smith,
2014). Lastly, ethical considerations that help to respect participants’ confidentiality, privacy, and
autonomy were paramount. This research worked with informed consent, utilized pseudonyms

34
when reporting findings, and took the necessary precautions to safeguard the anonymity and
identities of participants (Bell, 2014; Sparkes & Smith, 2013).
Data Sources
This study utilized semi-structured interviews as a data collection method. Interviews are
structured conversations designed to achieve research objectives (Billups, 2021). Researchers
frequently use a semi-structured interview protocol consisting of open-ended and follow-up
questions to obtain a more accurate depiction of participants’ responses (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). Critical race feminism emphasizes the importance of centering the narratives and voices
of people of color, which makes qualitative interviews a valuable tool for investigating issues
about race and ethnicity (Berry & Bowers Cook, 2018).
From the perspective of CRF, qualitative interviews provide a forum for listening to and
recognizing the experiences and journeys of people of color (Solórzano & Yosso, 2023).
Researchers can understand how race and ethnicity intersect with other social categories, such as
gender, class, sexuality, age, language, and religion, using this methodology through an
intersectionality lens (De Reus et al., 2005). Interviews focus on the participant’s experience of
the study, in this case, the voices of WoC leaders in academic leadership (Delgado Bernal et al.,
2018).
Participants
Participants were invited to the study through purposeful sampling. This type of
qualitative sampling allows the researcher to invite the participants based on criteria aligned with
the research questions to provide in-depth information (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This study
invited WoC who have been leaders in academic librarianship with five or more years of
professional experience.

35
The recruitment strategy included posting calls for participants on various social media
platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and the APALA list server.
This call included a link to a form with a description of the study and criteria for the study to
identify leaders who aligned with our sampling design. Potential participants received an email
invitation to the interviews and a document requesting informed consent for non-medical
research. After receiving the completed forms, the researcher scheduled a convenient time and
date for the interview utilizing the scheduling platform Doodle. This strategy aligns with
purposeful sampling, ensuring the selection of interviewees most aligned with the description of
the research population and effectively conducting the interviews (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Instrumentation
Developing rapport with participants is a crucial part of the interview process, and it
happens before and during the interview, as emphasized by Roller and Lavrakas (2015). The
design of the interview questions aligns with Research Objective 1, exploring themes related to
the leadership journey; Research Objective 2, gender inequalities; and Research Objective 3,
cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue. The order of the questions aimed to move
from less threatening to more complicated topics (Billups, 2021).
In addition, I actively listened to the responses, staying focused on the research goals
while remaining flexible and attentive to verbal and nonverbal cues. Before the interview
schedule, I contacted participants to conduct this study and explained the research’s nature,
limitations, and protocol. The study’s interview questions enabled active listening; I paid close
attention to participants’ responses and silences to gain a deeper understanding of their
experiences, as Billups (2021) recommended.

36
The interview questions aim to uncover the barriers WoC face in their leadership
journeys and their strategies for overcoming them and being successful. The study’s CRF
methodology acknowledges power asymmetries while emphasizing the wisdom, strength, and
achievements of WoC who have succeeded as leaders in academic librarianship (Grbich, 2013;
Hesse-Biber, 2014). It was pivotal to have empathy and disclosure during the interview process
(Mann, 2016). In the context of CRF methods, the researcher and librarian leaders were coparticipants, and it was imperative to empower the voices of WoC who are included in the study
(Hesse-Biber, 2014).
Data Collection Procedures
This research utilized online interviews because the sampling is about library
professionals in the territory of the United States. Online interviews cover different geographies
and time standards (Chia & Chew, 2022). The records of the Zoom interviews were safe on a
password-protected computer for one year to ensure the confidentiality of the interviews. In
addition, the interview recordings included captions to make it easier to access additional data
during analysis. The researcher’s home office was the space to conduct the interviews since
interviews need to be conducted in an area conducive to calm and confidential conversations
(Billups, 2021).
Data Analysis
Qualitative analysis allows for highlighting the experience of the small sample with an
in-depth reflection (Grbich, 2013). The research utilized the Zoom platform to record the
interviews. The Zoom platform can accurately identify the interviewer and interviewee to
produce a more accurate interview transcript. This process improved the precision and
dependability of the collected data, making it easier to analyze and draw meaningful conclusions

37
(Chia & Chew, 2022). After the interview, this study used Otter.AI to obtain clear interview
transcripts and Atlas.ti to analyze the interview files.
I speak English with a strong accent. Neither the Zoom transcript nor otter.ai captured my
South American accent. Therefore, these automatic transcripts of the interviews were not the best
representation of the conversation. I worked intensively on the transcripts of the interviews in the
dissertation to capture the conversations truthfully. In addition, I contrasted the record with the
transcript to have representative data for analysis. Also, to initiate a preliminary analysis, I
considered the silences in the narratives and ensured reliability and validity in the process
(Mann, 2016).
The next step was coding the data (Mann, 2016). Coding involves designating or
classifying data segments according to their meaning or content aligned with the project research
questions (Saldaña, 2019). This study’s coding started simultaneously with the data collection,
which will be preliminary codes, as Saldaña (2019) recommends. The final codes or themes
identify a group of topics through labeling (Grbich, 2013). In a research project pilot completed
in March 2023, I established pre-coding themes: Leadership journey, journey support, emotional
labor, racial fatigue, cultural taxation, and cultural assets.
The study employed Atlas.ti to code and analyze emerging themes. Transcripts of the
interviews were analyzed, and 143 codes were obtained. Then, the codes were organized by
research questions to get the themes: Research Question 1: Assets: Discovering librarianship,
professional growth, strategies, it takes a village, community builders, ethics of care, and
motivation. Research Question 2: Gender inequalities in academic librarianship leadership.
Research Question 3: Challenges include cultural taxation, emotional labor, racial fatigue, health
impact, and coping and healing mechanisms.

38
The final phase of the analysis consisted of interpreting the data collected and concluding
(Hesse-Biber, 2013). This process was shaped by the following CRF characteristics: reflexivity,
intersectional analysis, analysis of power asymmetries, and centering the voices of women of
color. Reflexivity plays a significant role in CRF. This self-awareness enables researchers to
recognize and interrogate their biases, assumptions, and social positions, ensuring a transparent
and accountable approach to the analysis process (Lumsden, 2019; Mann, 2016). The CRFguided intersectional analysis considers the intersections of various social categories, including
class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and education (Sparkes & Smith, 2014). By analyzing
interview transcripts and their classification, researchers can investigate how multiple
dimensions of identity influence the experiences of WoC in academic librarianship leadership
positions.
Another essential aspect of CRF is power asymmetries analysis, which examines
oppressive systems operating within society (Delgado Bernal, 2018). Using CRF, researchers
critically analyzed the power dynamics, hierarchies, and institutional structures that may
marginalize WoC in academic librarianship. This analysis facilitates a more profound
comprehension of these women’s obstacles and challenges. CRF also emphasizes experiential
knowledge and a commitment to social change as fundamental (Wing, 2015). Researchers are
encouraged to prioritize the perspectives and narratives of women of color, placing their voices
and experiences at the forefront of the analysis.
This strategy challenges hegemonic narratives, disrupts power imbalances, and aids
marginalized communities’ empowerment and social transformation (Gillies & Alldred, 2002).
This study allowed the participants and the researcher to reflect on their professional practice.
The narration, description, and reflection of challenging circumstances were a healing space for

39
previous traumas. In addition, this study created a space for celebration by exploring the
viewpoints and stories of 15 women of color who are leaders in academic librarianship.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
When conducting in-depth interviews, collecting truthful and credible data is essential
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In-depth interviews have a high level of trustworthiness because they
allow researchers to collect rich and detailed information directly from participants, which can
help uncover hidden perspectives, experiences, and insights (Hesse-Biber, 2014). Prolonged
engagement, dependability, transferability, confirmability, and reflexivity are key elements to
establish credibility and trustworthiness in the quality research process (Billups, 2021).
This research implemented prolonged engagement to amplify WoC’s journey as leaders
in academic librarianship. Prolonged engagement is a comprehensive grasp and appreciation of
the participants’ perspectives beyond the researcher’s perceptions (Billups, 2021). Also, this
research utilized member checking (Billups, 2021). Through this process, the researcher shares
the research findings with the interviewees to verify their narratives given during the interviews
and reduce researcher bias (Billups, 2021).
In contrast, dependability refers to the consistency of the collected data (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). Establishing the dependability of in-depth interviews can be more challenging
because they rely on the interviewer's skills and judgment (Billups, 2021). It is crucial to
carefully construct interview questions, employ appropriate probing techniques, and avoid
leading or biased inquiries (Roller & Lavrakas, 2015). This study employed a standardized
interview protocol with clear instructions and the interviewee’s informed consent to address this
issue.

40
Transferability is the trait of the study that is transferred to other settings or populations
(Billups, 2020). Extensive descriptions of the conversations and interpretation during the data
collection provide documentation for other researchers (Billups, 2021). The profuse description
provided a comprehensive account of the process and the study’s strengths and limitations
(Roller & Lavrakas, 2015).
Lastly, confirmability concerns the accuracy of the research findings (Billups, 2021).
This research process implemented reflexivity, which acknowledges the researcher’s bias,
assumptions, perspectives, and experiences and how they influence the data collection process.
Furthermore, reflexivity focuses on the interviewees’ point of view and respects their interests
and well-being (Gillam & Guillemin, 2018).
Reflexivity challenges the authoritative voice of the researcher (Lumsden et al., 2019).
Reflexivity has four paths; first, the research places the participants on the same level as the
researcher. Second, it is mandatory to explain the rationale for conducting the research. Third,
the researcher needs to examine their positionality, including their biographies and reflections
about their social class, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation, among other factors.
Finally, reflexivity includes an awareness of the emotions in the research process, particularly
the researchers’ emotions (Lumsden et al., 2019). This study had the research positionality, put
the participants at the same level as the researcher, and analyzed how the journey of the WoC
leaders in academic librarianship resonates with the researcher.
Ethics
This study employed CRF research methods emphasizing care and responsibilities
beyond the research outcomes (Sparkes & Smith, 2013). The asymmetries of power and
empowerment of women during the research process are the focus of the CRF research

41
methodology (Grbich, 2013). In addition, it has a participatory approach in which the researcher
and interviewees are co-participants in a collaborative process by valuing the perspectives and
experiences of the participants (Hesse-Biber, 2014). Intersectionality is one of the tenets of
feminist research. Participants’ experiences are shaped by multiple systems of oppression, such
as race, gender, class, and sexuality (Sparkes & Smith, 2014). This research examined how
different power asymmetries operate and impact the different intersectionality facets of the
participants.
In addition, informed consent is the strategy to ensure respect for participants; this study
had informed consent by communicating the purpose and nature of the research (Sparkes &
Smith, 2013). Anonymity and confidentiality are ensured by protecting the identity of the
participants (Bell, 2014). This study utilized pseudonyms, de-identified data, and stored data in a
password-secure computer.

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Chapter Four: Results
The study aimed to explore the assets and challenges of WoC in academic librarianship
leadership in the United States. The 15 semi-structured interviews examined their strategies for
nurturing a successful leadership career in academic librarianship and navigating challenges such
as gender inequalities, emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue. The following
chapter includes the participants’ descriptions as aggregate demographics, the study’s findings,
and a summary.
These findings are presented in order of the research questions:
1. How do WoC utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic
library leadership?
2. How do WoC navigate gender inequalities on their path to academic library
leadership?
3. How do WoC navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their
path to academic library leadership?
The themes of Research Question 1, utilization of the women’s cultural assets and skills,
were: Discovering librarianship, professional growth, and strategies, it takes a village:
Mentorship, networking, strategic friendships, and support groups as counterspaces, community
builders and ethics of care, and motivation. The findings for Research Question 2 are navigating
gender inequalities in academic librarianship leadership. Later, the chapter describes the themes
of Research Question 3, navigating challenges in academic librarianship leadership: Cultural
taxation, emotional labor, racial fatigue, health impact, coping and healing mechanisms. Lastly,
this section includes a summary of the findings.

43
Introduction of Participants
Academic librarianship is practiced mainly by White females (Hulbert & Kendrick, 2023;
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Hence, WoC in the profession are easily identifiable. For
this reason, the following description is an aggregate demographic instead of an individual
description. To protect and maintain the anonymity of the participants, all 15 interviewed women
had pseudonyms. The theme of the pseudonyms was the name of flowers since all the
participants were women: Begonia, Camellia, Dahlia, Freesia, Hibiscus, Iris, Jasmine, Lavender,
Lilac, Lily, Orchid, Poppy, Rose, Tulip, and Violet.
The women interviewed were Asian American, Black or African American, and Latinas
academic librarians. Four women interviewed were immigrants, and two identified as firstgeneration college students. The group interviewed had different levels of responsibilities;
academic libraries differed amongst institutions in size, structure, number of people working in
each organization, and leadership positions in the United States. Most professionals had
participated in formal leadership training, and 60% participated in the ALA Spectrum
scholarship. Other formal trainings mentioned during the interviews were the ALA Emerging
Leaders program, Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians, the Minnesota Institute
for Early Career Librarians, and other regional and state experiences. Table 1 describes the
participants’ characteristics.

44
Table 1
Participants Characteristics (N = 15)
Characteristic n %
Position
Dean library 1 7
Associate dean 5 33
Associate director 1 7
Director 3 20
Head of the department 5 33
Ethnicity
Asian and Asian American 7 47
Black or African American 3 20
Latina 5 33
Participation in ALA
Spectrum scholarship or
any other leadership
training
Yes 9 60
No 6 40
Years in the Profession
5–10 years 2 14
11–15 years 8 54
16–20 years 4 27
More than 20 years 1 7
Years in the current position
Less than a year 4 27
1 year 1 4
2 years 5 34
3 years 4 27
6 years 1 7
Navigating Academic Librarianship Leadership Path: Assets
The following section discusses the findings related to Research Question 1: How WoC
utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic library leadership? The
findings are about the participants’ leadership journeys, their support groups, and the experiences
that support them. Also, the findings include how most of the women interviewed recognized

45
their assets around community and empathetic leadership and their motivation to keep nurturing
their leadership.
Discovering Librarianship
This study is about leadership in academic libraries. Hence, it was pivotal to comprehend
the participant’s leadership journey and understand how and why they became academic
librarians. Through the conversations, there were similarities in the histories about how they
found work in libraries or chose to study for a master’s in the library sciences. There was a sense
of serendipity in discovering librarianship as a profession. Lilac talked about having worked in
academic libraries as a college student,
I had a good boss who was a mentor, and I had other academic librarians who saw value
in my skills and told me that, one, I was good at what I was doing, and two, that I should
consider graduate school—and being an immigrant in this country.
In addition, she ended up having a graduate degree because she received the right
information about a scholarship,
I only got to college because my brother created the path for us. So, my sisters and I all
called to go to college. A couple of us finished, including my brother and my little sister.
However, my older sisters, one of my three older sisters didn’t finish college or didn’t
even have that opportunity. So, graduate school was not something I thought was for me;
I thought it was for other people. I certainly thought financially. … I got the only
opportunity to go to grad school simply because someone told me about a scholarship.
That scholarship was an entire ride, and I applied. And somehow, some small miracle, I
got the scholarship. And that finished a graduate degree.

46
Freesia also indicated that her initial work as an undergraduate student in her college library
cemented her decision to pursue a graduate degree in the area,
I started in academic libraries as an undergraduate student assistant. During my time as
an undergraduate, I progressed to what’s considered an evening and weekend supervisor.
So, um, even though I held a student role, I supervised other students and was responsible
for either opening or closing the building, depending on what staffing looked like. I
would say, I want to say that was probably like my early professional work-related
leadership responsibilities started there.
Dahlia talked about discovering librarianship as a solution to paying her cell phone bill when she
was an undergraduate student.
I was an undergrad, I was studying journalism, and I worked at the library to pay for my
cell phone bill because my parents refused to pay my cell phone. And so that’s why I
started working in the library.
Violet mentioned this serendipitous way to enter the profession. She studied communications
and journalism as an undergraduate but worked on a specific digitization project where she
employed the skills acquired during her undergraduate education.
I did my undergraduate degree in communications and journalism. And that’s what I
wanted to do. After I graduated, breaking into that field was challenging. I didn’t really
understand after I thought I would get a job. But I got a temporary position at the library
facility, and it was working on a digitization project, the day store projects. … Through
my time, I was offered a temporary position to full-time and possibly offered an
opportunity to get my MLS.

47
A notable theme among the women interviewed was their inadvertent entry into the field, often
through positions held during their undergraduate studies or as paraprofessionals. That is the case
of other participants, Camelia, Iris, Lily, and Orchid, who mentioned that they discovered
librarianship when they worked as library paraprofessionals. Jasmine and Lavender had a
previous profession and decided to insert it into librarianship, seeking better perspectives from
the former ones. It was important for the study to understand why the participants chose the
librarianship profession. Their answers enlightened how they utilized their cultural assets and
skills to choose the profession.
Professional Growth and Strategies
In talking about their leadership journey, it was also pivotal to inquire about how their
leadership career evolved and strategies employed through time. All 15 participants spoke about
situations that revealed their leadership skills but also a proactive attitude to nurture these skills.
Iris, who started working in libraries as a library assistant, indicated that she decided to obtain an
MLS to pursue another leadership level. In addition, she always sought new opportunities,
analyzing what was missing in her skills.
One of the strategies I employed was to determine what I was missing to go to another
leadership level. And one of the things I was missing was a master’s degree in
librarianship. So, once I attain that, I am always looking to see what kind of skills other
people in similar positions have or what kind of skills I wish I had that I don’t have, and
I’m still working on that. So, one strategy is that I realized that a lot of the work that I do
is planning an organization. So, I need training in grant writing, project management, and
things like that. So, I talked to other people. And I found out.

48
Begonia also did a similar analysis to Iris; she looked at which skills she was missing and
planned to acquire them. She talked about this intentional search for training and professional
development,
How to inclusively facilitate a conversation, how to deal with challenging personnel
issues, and how to help with change management; I needed to get the actual professional
development and be really intentional about that. I was fortunate that my institution
offered a number of webinars and other opportunities to the library profession.
Jasmine utilized her network and professional conferences to ask her colleagues which training
and professional development would suit her better in her path. She supported her professional
growth with the wisdom of her colleagues. She relied on these conversations to unwind her
missing knowledge.
Iris, Begonia, and Jasmine intentionally sought professional development, mentorships,
and training. Other participants expressed similar intentions to seek new knowledge. This
process was formal and informal, through training and conversations with colleagues in
conferences and other venues. Lilac also mentioned getting another graduate degree to acquire
more training. In addition, Camellia, Freesia, Lavender, Lilac, and Poppy mentioned their
multiple moves across different parts of the country, either for better positions or lateral moves to
leave toxic places. Most interviewees were intentional regarding their training, professional
development, and mentorships but also took advantage of conversations with other colleagues,
especially with other women of color, to grow in their path to leadership.

49
It Takes a Village: Mentorship, Networking, Strategic Friendships, and Support Groups
As Counterspaces
When they described the support they received on their journey, all 15 women
interviewed mentioned formal and informal mentorship experiences. The building of these
relationships happened through the years of professional encounters. Lilac said, “my support
system, my network that I’ve built over the years of other people of color in this field, and
frankly, therapy.” Camellia described this mix of relationships which support her journey and
how to learn from good but also bad examples of leadership,
I’ve always had good mentors throughout my journey; from the beginning, when I started
as a student assistant, my boss, who already retired, was a perfect boss and good,
meaning understanding and caring. And then, I tried to figure out if I’d like a role model.
And then, when I was leading a department and supervising other people, I had a really
bad leadership that I worked under, and I just tried not to be like him, who could have
been a better listener.
Most of the women interviewed completed formal leadership training. They received different
scholarships and fellowships: ALA Emerging Leaders Program, ALA Spectrum Scholarship,
Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians, Minnesota Institute for Early Career
Librarians, and other regional and state opportunities. All these experiences created spaces that
sustain relationships over time. Poppy talked about building these relationships and being
intentional about searching for support, gathering different perspectives from colleagues in
different states,
I reached out to other people for advice if they had staff checking your resume. When I
was early in my career, I would take advantage of that. When they were training on

50
leadership, I would go to those workshops. If I saw somebody I wanted to talk to learn
more about what they were doing in their journey, I’d reach out to them. I had, I feel like
I’ve had I’ve been fortunate that I have, you know, formal and informal mentors that
have reached out. Then they are happy to share their stories and support my journey, as I
was, you know, as I’ve gone through my different professional changes and moved into
different states. I think that helps a lot because you get different perspectives.
Tulip also described forming support groups based on formal professional development
experiences. She described the type of daily coping through the group online chat, a space to
release frustrations and find people who would hear her challenges,
And we’ve just stayed in touch. Since then, we have like an online group chat, we’ll be
sending cat pictures and just like chitchat, and then sometimes people, if they need to
vent about something that’s happening at work, that is a space where we can talk to each
other about what’s going on and listen.
The composition of these support groups varies; some women described only women groups,
others only BIPOC groups, and others a broad, varied group of persons. Many interviewees
included family (spouses and parents) and people outside the librarian profession. Violet
described this varied mix of individuals,
I could describe the specific people who helped contribute to my well-being. That group
within the field is a group of women and WoC in various stages of their careers and
trying to navigate through this field. It’s not necessarily somebody in a higher position or
mentor but somebody with the same aspirations and skill levels as me.

51
Camellia defined these peer relationships with the term critical friendship (Sotiropoulau &
Cranston, 2023), which is a notion developed in the academic environment to describe a
relationship that originated in the mentorship space o through networking,
I developed this critical friendship relationship with one of my colleagues at the previous
institution. In mentorship, you have this dynamic of mentor and mentee relationship (her
hands indicated an asymmetry of power); in critical friendship, we are just equal. You
would be critical about what you’ve been doing but also recognize all the great work and
accomplishments that you are doing. The relationship helped us to guide you on the
quality of goals and services and everything, which has been very helpful.
Begonia expressed the reasons and needs to have these groups; they provided her with a sense of
stability in her workplace, which was very White and unfamiliar. Also, she described them as
places where she was always uplifted. In addition, these spaces gave her the courage to return to
her workplace and work every day, “Those folks really kind of helped me to feel welcome and a
sense of stability and an otherwise very white and very unfamiliar space in some ways. They are
really what uplifted me all the time.”
Tulip, Poppy, Camellia, and Begonia narrated how pivotal the formal training and
professional development experiences were. Not only to learn but also to meet formal and
informal mentors, build strategic friendships, and form support groups to sustain them
throughout their careers. Jasmine indicated, “Those mentors helped me realize and remember
what my capabilities are and focus on my values and priorities. So, definitely, having a network
and a community of professionals has been vital.” These fundamental communities were
counterspaces, safe and inclusive spaces for people who experienced oppression and
marginalization (Case & Hounter, 2012).

52
Community Builders and Ethics of Care
It was essential to explore cultural assets and skills to inquire about the biggest asset of
the women interviewed. The answers were in the realm of creating a community through
building relationships (Begonia, Dahlia, Freesia, Hibiscus, Iris, and Lily), authentic connections
(Lilac, Lavender, and Violet), empathy (Orchid, Poppy, and Tulip), compassion (Camellia and
Orchid), kindness (Jasmine). Rose responded regarding her alignment with the principles of
librarianship. Most women emphasize the importance of creating communication spaces through
the intentional practice of empathy and kindness. Based on many years of working on her
campus, Iris indicated her skills in building community and bringing people together.
My biggest asset is my ability to bring people together. And I’m just in, in my college in
general, I’m known as a community builder. And so, I do the same thing in my academic
leadership. Since I’ve been at my institution for so long, I have decades-long
relationships in all areas of the college, which has helped me become a leader in the
library and on my campus.
Poppy emphasized compassion beyond professional skills. Even though she valued librarianship
skills, which were pivotal for her position, she prioritized compassion. Compassion is the ability
that helped her to work with different people and understand them. The understanding of people
around her facilitated the organization of priorities and planning,
Because trust and compassion are really important when you work with people. … You
need those other complementary skills that will help you work with different people
because everybody has different needs and different priorities, and you need to be able to
work with those needs and those priorities to fit what you need to do in your job.

53
Jasmine highlighted kindness above everything else. She had previously worked in toxic
workplaces and did not want to replicate these unhealthy work environments. She found the
intentional practice of kindness as a tool for inclusion in her workplace,
I think that the real value underneath that is kindness. It’s like, I just want to be kind; I
want to be a kind leader. I want people to feel included. I’ve had so many experiences
with toxic workplaces and toxic supervisors that I’ve learned what not to do, and I think
very clearly perfect examples of how it is not healthy to lead folks in certain
organizations.
Lastly, Tulip was an intentional practice of emphatic leadership through strong communication
with the people she supervised and the people above her. She valued honest dialogue to solve
conflicts with people who have different priorities,
I think I try to be an empathetic leader. I feel like that is what I bring to the table. And I
try to be a very strong communicator. So, when we have to make hard decisions, or if I
need to push back on a decision that’s being made, I’m actually coming at it from a way
that’s really communicating the people that I’m supposed to represent as a leader.
Exploring cultural assets and skills was vital in investigating the primary strengths of the women
interviewed. Their responses revolved around fostering community through relationshipbuilding, cultivating authentic connections, and demonstrating empathy, compassion, and
kindness. One respondent, Rose, considered her assets in the realm of librarianship principles.
Most women underscored the significance of creating communication spaces through
deliberate acts of empathy and kindness as their asset as leaders in academic librarianship.
Interestingly, these feminine qualities are often challenging to cultivate in environments like
academic librarianship and higher education, where predominantly masculine traits are typically

54
prioritized and valued. Moreover, empathy, kindness, and compassion are the principles of the
ethics of care theory (Fancher, 2022).
Motivation
To achieve this study’s goals, it was crucial to delve into the motivations behind
managing and working in academic libraries, particularly in environments that often do not
embrace women of color. Across the board, the women interviewed expressed a solid drive to
imprint positive change and create inclusive spaces for other people of color in the library and
the rest of the campus.
Iris talked about supporting diverse populations to sustain her daily practice in
community colleges. Also, she thought her presence could demonstrate to students, faculty, and
staff that WoC not only exist but thrive in higher education,
I’m still working in a community college library because I strongly believe in supporting
this diverse population of students. I enjoy meeting alumni who fondly remember visiting
with me and studying at our library. I like leadership opportunities because I can
influence my college’s choices to improve our services to our students, and I can show
students, faculty, and staff that WoC exist and excel in higher education.
Poppy and Violet indicated that their motivation is based on their impact on people beyond their
daily challenges. Their focus is their conviction of being part of a positive change and mentoring
and supporting colleagues. In a similar tone, Jasmine also talked about making space for others
and contributing. The scope of her work extends far beyond her personal experience and
encompasses a broader perspective and collective efforts. In addition, she felt a sense of giving
back and making a world more equitable,

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I believe the work is bigger than my individual experience. While I encounter numerous
challenges in the work I do, I’ve learned the only way out of those challenges is through
presence, intention, and focus. I am only where I am able to be now because of those
before me. … I can commit to attempting to continually contribute to the bigger picture
and ground myself in remembering that the end goal is stronger than the opposition. With
the privilege of being entrusted to lead and the access to the expertise I have in the library
and information science field, I feel a sense of accountability to contribute with the gifts
that have been given to me to lead with a learning mindset and with love.
Camellia also specified her interest in supporting the BIPOC community by creating mentorship
and internship opportunities for colleagues and through her daily work in reparative cataloging.
This is the process of reviewing and correcting catalog records against biases, inaccuracies, or
omissions (Gosselar, 2022; Snow & Dunbar, 2022), “I’m in a place where I can help and give
back to the BIPOC community by offering mentorship/internship with fellow library school
students as well as engaging in social justice work through reparative cataloging.”
It was critical to investigate the reasons for managing and working in academic libraries,
particularly in contexts that frequently need to welcome WoC to fulfill the study’s objectives.
Most of the women interviewed, Begonia, Dahlia, Iris, Lily, Poppy, Rose, Tulip, and Violet,
acknowledged a solid desire to positively their workplace, campus, and profession. Lavender and
Lilac also mentioned being agents of change for creating authentic inclusion. In addition,
Freesia, Hibiscus, and Lavender described their motivation in seeking projects and activities that
they enjoy, as well as their certainty that they are good at their positions.
WoC utilized their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic librarianship
and leadership. They had a serendipitous approach to their career as students or paraprofessionals

56
working in a library. They were intentional about their training, professional development, and
mentorships, but they also used talks with other colleagues, particularly women of color, to
advance in their leadership careers. In addition, five participants relocated to various parts of the
country for career advancement or to escape toxic environments.
Another asset was the formation of counterspaces along their professional practice. These
spaces were formal and informal mentorship experiences, the building of strategic friendships,
and support groups to sustain their careers. The interviewees described their best assets in
feminine qualities (community building, strong communication skills, empathy, compassion, and
kindness) in an environment such as higher education management where these assets are not
valued. Furthermore, empathy, kindness, and compassion are core concepts of the ethics of care
theory (Fancher, 2022). Lastly, most women interviewed are motivated by imprinting a positive
change in their environments. Three of them also mentioned seeking joy in the projects in which
they were involved and a sense of pride in their abilities.
Navigating Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership
This section describes the findings of Research Question 2 regarding how WoC navigates
gender inequalities on its path to academic library leadership. Most of the women interviewed
narrated gender inequality experiences with different impacts. Except for Iris, who did not
experience them firsthand. She expressed her knowledge about the gender and pay disparities in
librarianship.
Lilac narrated her experience from a couple of years ago when a new male hire received a
much higher salary than her despite her position over a decade within the institution. Begonia,
Camellia, Dahlia, Lavender, Lily, Orchid, Rose, and Tulip observed that numerous positions of
head of departments were held by males as well as the other high management positions in the

57
different campuses where they worked when librarianship is a highly feminized profession (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Poppy mentioned how this topic intersected with race inequalities and how librarianship
suffered from advancement inequalities, “You think about the people in management and
leadership positions, they tend to be men, more women are going up the ladder, but for the most
part, it is men.” In addition, Jasmine mentioned how the structures are prepared for men to hold
positions of power,
Because those positions have more decision-making power, they have more agency. So,
they really steer where our money goes, like what we put our money behind in terms of
initiatives, which structures the entirety of our programs, and how folks interact with the
library at their different campuses. Those positions aren’t being made by the people doing
most of the labor in those situations.
Freesia indicated that masculine attributes are always pivotal to being a leader, and feminine
attributes are not considered: “I’ve seen female leaders show up in ways that can be attributed as
masculine to demonstrate their competency or that they are ready for this position.” Moreover,
she had observed that when females do not act or use male attributes, they are “perceived as
manipulated.”
Violet narrated her personal experience in which the position of head of the department
was given to a man with a PhD in an area other than library sciences. She becomes the second in
command, doing all the technical jobs and working with the campus community. A couple of
years later, this person left, and she got the title of head, but without a salary increase or having
more people on her team,

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I have experienced gender inequality in that specific example. He wasn’t a White man,
but he was a man who was older and had a PhD. And so, he was perceived to have been
more knowledgeable than me. And even now, even though they gave me the head. … it’s
only a title change. There’s no money increase. There are not two faculty members here.
Before, when he was, there were two and so, and he was paid more than I get paid.
Gender inequalities can also be subtle. Rose talked about how a man’s behavior disrupts a
dynamic in a small leadership team,
I did experience some friction on this topic within the small library leadership team. At
some point, we had one male supervisor. All the other supervisors were female, and the
director was female. I always thought that this male person’s power or dynamics were
different. When he had an opinion or when things were being decided, his opinion was
taken differently. … I believe that he was discriminatory toward women. Not super
obviously, but occasionally, there was this comment, this a joke, those little things that
demonstrated that he thought there was a difference between them, the women and the
male in the decision making.
Hibiscus narrated having a female dean who celebrated the success of the only male librarian
when he did not work with the same intensity as his female colleagues. Begonia remembered
how she was identified as a student in the classroom instead of a faculty on numerous occasions
just because of her age and ethnicity. Students always mistook a male as their instructor instead
of her.
This section covers the findings of the second research question, which focuses on how
WoC managed gender inequalities on their road to academic library leadership. Most of the
women interviewed described their experiences with gender inequality, except for Iris, who had

59
no experience with them but understood the gender and wage gaps in librarianship. The
structures of the patriarchy vary in their forms and intensity. The interviewees’ experiences
ranged from subtle disruptions in a meeting to having to do the work of a male without receiving
recognition or pay.
Navigating Challenges in Academic Librarianship Leadership: Emotional Labor, Cultural
Taxation, and Racial Fatigue
The following section describes the findings related to Research Question 3: How do
WoC navigate cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue on their path to academic
library leadership? This section also portrays the health impact of emotion and body language
suppression, the coping mechanisms, and the healing process developed by the participants.
Moreover, these findings delve into the strategies utilized by the WoC interviewed to develop
their leadership identities while navigating the complex dynamics of White organizations.
Cultural Taxation
Cultural taxation is the phenomenon in which professors of color, such as academic
librarians of color, are expected to do extra labor linked to their culture or identity in the
workplace, frequently without additional salary or acknowledgment (Canton, 2013; Padilla,
1994). This concept resonated with all the women interviewed. They all recognized that they
were in the space of cultural taxation at some point during their careers. However, many
managed to use it to their advantage.
Many mentioned their participation in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) library,
campus or professional associations committees (Begonia, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Orchid, Poppy,
Rose, Violet ), committees or departments because of their ethnicity (Freesia, Tulip), celebrating
the library or campus heritage months beyond their position descriptions (Rose, Violet),

60
participating in hiring committees (Iris, Lavender ), teaching classes (Lilac), working in the
selection all the ethnic materials of the library (Lilac), or giving translation services (Camellia).
The women interviewed provided examples and different reasons for agreeing to do it or
not. Dahlia resisted participating in the DEI committee in her current position since she did not
consider that she had to work in these areas as a BIPOC person. It is the responsibility of the
White persons working in the library.
Many talked about how they felt the commitment to do it because nobody else in the
library could do it because of cultural ignorance or not managing languages. Hibiscus said,
especially regarding their participation in the DEI committees, “I believe it’s important to work
with them, contribute, and make changes.” Others balance the work versus building relationships
within the library, the campus, or professional associations. This is the case of Lilac, which was
about the relationships built in the process while teaching a class,
When I first started working in one of these organizations, someone from a diverse
background came in looking for our class, someone from the greater community. That
person automatically came to me as the only person of color in that division and asked
me to teach this class. And I was fine with it. I was, frankly, that that class saved me
more than they know; that community saved me more than anyone will ever know.
Working with them made me feel way less alone.
Jasmine took on the task of working on the DEI committee at the campus as a strategy to
improve her position. She intentionally decided to work on the committee since she was the only
BIPOC person working in the library at that moment. She reached allies and delegated, but also
built a portfolio with all her work on the committee. She analyzed the situation a priori and

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planned how to incorporate the committee work into the demands of her position. Also, she
negotiated a better salary and position,
I used it to my benefit. … I have a portfolio case that I can present and lead. You never
gave me the opportunity before. You only called me out on it because I am black, and
you wanted me to be there. So now that I’ve done that, I’ve shown you I can. What does
that mean in terms of my leadership role, my title, my chances for promotion, my salary,
and I navigated and negotiated all those things. So, I got a pay increase and a higher role.
Afterward, I could put it on my CV and resume for future leadership positions.
Camellia did have the opportunity to reflect on the benefits of doing imposed tasks. At the
university library where she worked many years ago, it was a one-day event celebrating the same
country where she is from. The event was important since the college’s founder was an
ambassador from that country. She had to translate library resources and do interpreter work for
eight years. She felt the imposition to do it because she felt vulnerable because she was in the
tenure track process,
The city college founder used to be an ambassador. … I was asked to translate some
specific resources to make descriptions available. … And then at those events, so all of
all, all eight years, every year when they had this event, I was asked to work as an
interpreter because the library hosted the event. They also needed the money and were
not interested in hiring a professional interpreter for the event. Because I was still new to
the university and all time on, I was on the tenure track. … I wanted to help. I started to
enjoy helping, but I couldn’t say no to the situation either. … Eight years.
Cultural taxation resonated with all the participants interviewed. They acknowledged that they
had encountered cultural taxation at some point in their careers. Begonia, Hibiscus, Jasmine,

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Orchid, Poppy, Rose, and Violet were among the women who mentioned their involvement in
diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at the library, campus, or professional
organization level. Others, such as Freesia and Tulip, served on committees or departments based
on ethnicity. In addition, Rose and Violet celebrate library or campus heritage months. Iris and
Lavender served on hiring committees, while Lily taught classes, and Lilac handled the
collection of ethnic literature for the library. Camellia felt obligated to do interpreter and
translation work.
The women interviewed gave examples and reasons for agreeing or disagreeing to take
these tasks or obligations. Camellia felt pressure from the tenure track process, while Lilac
prioritized building relationships. Jasmine saw an opportunity to get a promotion and construct a
better portfolio. Hibiscus felt that her participation in the DEI committee was important work.
They all narrated that these impositions impacted them later in their careers. However, some of
the women interviewed benefited from it and improved their ability to handle these situations.
Emotional Labor and Racial Fatigue
All the participants recognized the emotional labor process and how they faced it, some
daily and some at some point in their careers. They also utilized expressions that weighed on
them and related them to racial fatigue. Both concepts intersect since the women interviewed felt
the need to immerse themselves in this practice to navigate White spaces such as academic
libraries and university campuses.
Emotional labor has many manifestations, including emotional suppression (Hernández
& Oberlies, 2020). Dahlia, Iris, Jasmine, Lilac, Orchid, and Violet narrated different types of
emotional suppression as a strategy to navigate Whiteness. Iris hid her emotions and expressions:

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“I have to adjust my thoughts, body language, and expressions because they’re not appropriate.”
She considered them inappropriate for her workplace.
Lilac also suppressed her laugh at work, and she stopped to be authentic at her library.
Violet also needed to hide part of her personality, such as her intensity, “I am an ESL immigrant
… I am so, we are very intense. So, in the workplace, there is always emotional exhaustion about
refraining that intensity or even jokes that the people will not understand.” In the same realm of
emotion suppression and expression, Jasmine narrated a process of self-censorship, of selfpolicing, with the aim of not being very animated,
In terms of body language and expressions, I try to be very neutral. I do not show very
much emotion or reactions; there is definitely self-policing … that happens to make sure
that I’m not too animated. My default is to be very, very neutral, very plain in my body
language and my expressions. And I think that the impact of that is all of those things.
It’s mental, physical, and spiritual … I feel like I can’t fully be myself.
Orchid explained the effort that she made to silence herself or modify expressions. She needed to
work and have financial stability, so she was careful of analyzing when to speak up and how to
show up, especially in a position early in her career,
I was always doing that extra labor of weighing the risks of speaking up. I found the ways
I could without putting my own livelihood at risk … I don’t have generational wealth. …
My job and financial security are major things; financial independence is significant for
me. It definitely changed how I would show up in this than the spaces.
Another topic that emerged in the conversation was the efforts and overthinking of the women
who had English as a second language (ESL). Camellia said she silenced herself because she was
the only ESL in her department. Even though Poppy came to the United States when she was ten

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years old, she received a comment about her accent in a previous position that she still
remembered very clearly, pushing her to take accent reduction classes. Rose also mentioned an
episode with a former boss who commented on her accent, which she still remembered and made
her feel very aware of her speaking.
Another theme that arose with the interviewees was the intention of selecting the
wardrobe. Early in her career, when she was younger, Tulip changed how she dressed: “I stopped
wearing dresses to work.” Especially when she worked at the reference desk or teaching, spaces
where “a woman who looks younger, looking too friendly, also invites sexual harassment.” She
indicated that she was younger and had adjusted her wardrobe all the time,
I would face different issues depending on where I was. And then the part about, like,
especially being Asian American, people do perceive you to be younger than you really
are. Then, when you’re meeting with faculty, they don’t really take you seriously. Or they
think you’re just like a student, or sometimes the students think you’re a student.
The wardrobe selection is also a topic for Hibiscus, Freesia, and Lavender. In their cases, it is to
help their performance in White spaces with a change of attitude and communication style. The
three of them utilized the wardrobe as a part of a performative experience combined with body
language. Freesia fully knew the process and immersed herself in a very performative space. She
is very intentional with her wardrobe, makeup, and attitude.
When I have those hard meetings, it’s entirely performative. I’ve talked about this with
my mentor and coach; I put on my warpaint. I wear my structured clothes, big earrings, a
bold lip, and heels. … I’m like: All right, once you get the lay of the land, this is how it
is.

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Lavender does not want to be perceived as very feminized, “I specifically don’t want to present a
very feminized way in my workspace. … I still feel like I have to deal with something about the
performance of professionalism.” Hibiscus indicated her need to look professional and transform
herself to be somebody different than her, “I almost need to be different when I’m in cabinet
meetings or other leadership meetings. I almost need to be different … always folks tell me to be
yourself, but I feel that I have to fit in.”
Another topic that emerged from the conversation with Camellia, Dahlia, and Jasmine
was the sense of self-betrayal from the interviewees. By modifying their expressions, body
language, wardrobe, and communications, they suppressed their emotions and felt a sense of
betrayal towards themselves. Dhalia said, “betrayal to who I am as a person.” Lavender preferred
to utilize the term struggle rather than betrayal.
In addition, Dhalia and Begonia mentioned that the Summer of 2020 was a challenging
time for BIPOC people as many initiatives and committees were launched at different campuses.
At the same time, BIPOC felt unsafe and under scrutiny, Begonia described these experiences,
2020 was a really tough time for a lot of us, both because of the pandemic and the
heightened recognition of a lot of racial inequities that a lot of us have been shouting
from the rooftops for so long. … I had to communicate, as best I could, the severity of all
of this and the very personal and real impacts that this was happening. … And
communicating that without appearing emotional. … I think this is a particularly hard
time to ask folks to take on additional labor that they are personally being affected by.
All participants recognized the emotional labor process and how they were involved, some daily
and others at some point in their lives. They also used language that weighed on them and was
linked to racial fatigue. Both concepts overlap because the women interviewed felt compelled to

66
go through emotional labor to navigate White areas such as academic libraries and university
campuses. In Tulip’s expression, to “perform Whiteness.”
This performance can take different forms: transform the wardrobe to look more
professional or less feminine, silence or suppress emotions, and modify the intensity of their
communication. All these efforts brought a sense of betrayal when Camellia, Dahlia, Freesia, and
Jasmine could not be themselves in the workforce. Emotional labor was manifested in the
conversations with the women as extra effort and constant navigation to keep a façade of
professionalism expected in these White spaces. Racial fatigue is intertwined with emotional
labor because there is a sense of tiredness, of being burnt, of not being authentic since they must
be aligned with Whiteness.
Health Impact
Most of the women described cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue as an
effort not only over their bodies but also over their souls. Camelia, Dahlia, and Jasmine
specifically talked about betraying themselves since they left their authenticity away from their
work. Begonia, Freesia, Iris, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Orchid, Poppy, Lavender, and Violet utilized the
words mental and physical exhausted or exhaustion to define when they are immersed in cultural
taxation, emotional labor, or racial fatigue process. Dahlia, Hibiscus, Lavender, and Lily
employed the word drained to describe them. Tulip used the word taxing to describe what she
felt when she was submerged in these spaces. Camellia developed a constant awareness to
protect herself.
Jasmine narrated how she developed a neutral pose at work and its health impact.
Especially how she felt her throat closing since “my voice is not being heard, and I did not talk
freely.” She talked about these processes: “I think that those are very real expressions and that

67
those feelings of tightness of restriction can make you feel sick and tired and, you know, less
present.”
Tulip also talked about modifications in how she expressed herself and dressed: “Because
I feel like it’s a facade that you have to keep up, it feels really inauthentic to me. Now that I’m
more established in my career, I do actually dress a lot more casually at work.” Violet described
the impact on her health, “I’ve gotten a therapist, we talk a lot about work physically, I’ve
suffered from anxiety a lot more and had a little bit of high blood pressure.” Physical health
impact was an issue explained by Dhalia,
My body is inflamed from the emotional toll that it all takes on me. I gained about 90
pounds from the fact that I was very emotionally distraught from all the things that I’ve been
going through at this institution, this organization of having to pretend to be something else.”
Orchid is very aware of the impact on her health, “my sister thinks I’m morbid, but I think about
my mortality.” Lilac recounted she was so hurt spiritually and “no longer in the best physical
health that she decided to leave a position in the past. Iris narrated a more impactful health
problem two years ago, “I had cancer, and I didn’t tell very many people. I think a lot of my
physical illnesses over the years can probably be traced back to suppressing my real emotions, or
it has a huge impact.”
Racial exhaustion, emotional labor, and cultural taxation were serious issues that
significantly impacted the women interviewees’ overall well-being. When most women
discussed them, they described them as a weight on their spirits and bodies. The most common
expression was exhaustion.
Cultural taxation, emotional work, and racial fatigue all had an impact on participants’
physical and mental health. The degrees of these health impacts differed from one woman to

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another woman. The impositions of cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue related
to mental health issues, weight gain, high blood pressure, and even cancer.
Coping and Healing Mechanisms
The interviews made palpable the narration of how cultural taxation, emotional labor, and
racial fatigue impacted the participants’ physical and mental health. Exploring coping and
healing mechanisms for these health and spiritual impacts was important. Some recognized that
the interview offered the first opportunity to discuss these topics and healing. Many mentioned
mental therapy, mindfulness, alternative medicine, and spiritual practices. All the participants
mentioned that they had a support group outside of the library where they worked.
These groups have been a part of their lives for years, and they provide a safe area for
them to ask questions, express their worries and sorrows, seek advice, and celebrate their
successes. They form strategic friendships (Sotiropoulau & Cranston, 2023) and support groups
with specialists in the discipline, other academic fields, and family members. The composition of
these groupings varies from woman to woman; some interviewees identified them as all women
of color, others as exclusively BIPOC, and others as a mix of ethnicities. Begonia described her
support group, “These are all WoC … those folks really helped me feel welcome, a sense of
stability, and an otherwise very white and unfamiliar space in some ways. They are really what
uplifted me all the time.” Lilac mentioned how the open availability of their group and how
pivotal it had been for her,
I finally found a circle of four or five people whom I could call at midnight, 5 o’clock, or
on the weekend to talk about anything other than work. I would not have survived this
long without them, and I would not have succeeded without their support.

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Dahlia, Hibiscus, Lilac, Orchid, and Violet also mentioned mental therapy as a strategy to cope
with the health impact of dealing with cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue in
their workplace. Orchid mentioned the type of mental therapy, “I do weekly therapy. And I
found someone who is, does a lot of like racial trauma and other things right that align with my
experiences.”
Other women also mentioned another type of coping mechanism. Camellia stated that she
developed better boundaries over the years, especially after she became a mother. Iris mentioned
that she no longer works evenings or weekends. Jasmine stated that she meditated and used
affirmation cards, “those helped me a lot in the morning or before a difficult meeting to get
centered and clear about what I’m doing right and why I’m there.” Dahlia also included
acupuncture as one of her strategies to cope with the consequences of working in White spaces.
Finally, Jasmine discovered activities during the lockdown due to COVID-19. She returned to
play the piano and paint. Hibiscus, Jasmine, and Lavender also expressed that having the
opportunity to interview for the study opened a space of reflection and healing.
Freesia decided to practice her faith again to cope with her stress. Also, to balance her
need to be performative and leave her authenticity at her workplace,
I’m really conscious about the spiritual piece of it. … I’m in a season of my life where
I’m very deep in my faith and the practice of my faith … and recently returned to it in the
last three years. And so, I have ways of coping with that. Reconciliation is one where I
can do a little bit of spiritual course correction and hope I’m forgiven for some of the
ways in which I show up that don’t feel authentic.
The interviews revealed the tangible effects of cultural taxation, emotional labor, and
racial exhaustion on the physical and mental health of the participants. Investigating coping and

70
healing strategies for these physiological and spiritual effects was crucial. Some acknowledged
that the interview provided the first chance to address these subjects and discuss recovery.
Several women referred to mental treatment, mindfulness, alternative medicine, and spiritual
activities. All interviewees indicated they have an external support network at the library for
their workplace.
This section covered the findings of the third research question, which focuses on how
WoC navigate cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue on their path to academic
library leadership. All the interviewees acknowledged experiencing cultural taxation at some
stage in their careers. However, many individuals were able to utilize it for their benefit.
Emotional labor was evident in the interactions with the women as additional effort and
continual management to maintain a facade of professionalism was required in these
predominantly White environments. Racial fatigue is connected to emotional labor as individuals
experience exhaustion and a lack of authenticity due to the pressure to conform to Whiteness.
The participant’s physical and mental health was affected by cultural taxation, emotional labor,
and racial exhaustion. The severity of these health effects varied across different women. The
burdens of cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial exhaustion are linked to mental health
problems, weight increase, hypertension, and even cancer. Finally, several women interviewed
mentioned their coping strategies. They discussed utilizing mental therapy, mindfulness,
alternative medicine, and spiritual practices. All the interviewees mentioned having support
groups external to their workplace at the library.
Summary
This chapter presented the findings of the semi-structured interviews with the 15 women
leaders in academic librarianship. It addressed the research questions of the study:

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1. How do WoC utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic
library leadership?
2. How do WoC navigate gender inequalities on their path to academic library
leadership?
3. How do WoC navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their
path to academic library leadership?
Remarkably, most interviewees had a serendipitous discovery of librarianship as a
profession, but they intentionally decided to become leaders. WoC used their cultural resources
and abilities to advance in academic librarianship and leadership. They had a fortuitous approach
to their employment as students or paraprofessionals working in a library. They were deliberate
in their approach to training, professional growth, and mentorship. Additionally, they nurtured
strong networks with roles with colleagues, especially women of color.
The conformation of counterspaces during their professional career was also an asset.
The individuals benefited from formal and informal mentorship opportunities, the building of
strategic friendships, and support groups outside of their workplace to guide and support their
professions. The respondents highlight their strengths in feminine attributes like community
building, good communication skills, empathy, compassion, and kindness. These feminine
attributes can be challenging to develop in academic librarianship and higher education
management, where essentially masculine traits are usually emphasized and valued. Empathy,
kindness, and compassion are fundamental ethics of care theory. Most women interviewed were
driven to impact their library, campus, and profession positively. Three individuals also
expressed satisfaction with their undertakings and felt pride in their abilities.

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During interviews, many women described their experiences with gender inequality in
academic libraries and higher education. One woman was the only one who did not experience
the inequities, although she understood the gender and income gaps in librarianship. Patriarchal
systems come in various forms and degrees of severity. The interviewees faced scenarios such as
frequent interruptions by males during meetings and being asked to complete work without
receiving promotions or compensation.
Cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue were real, and they took a toll on
their health, not only physical health but also mental and spiritual health. Some people felt they
were betraying themselves by distancing their authenticity from their careers. Many of the
women interviewed mentioned mental therapy, mindfulness, alternative medicine, spiritual
practices, and support groups outside of the library where they worked as coping strategies and
healing.

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Chapter Five: Discussion of Findings and Recommendations
This study aimed to analyze the assets and challenges of WoC who are leaders in
academic libraries across the United States. This research employed qualitative research methods
through semi-structured interviews with 15 librarians in different positions of leadership and
years of experience in the period August through October of 2023. The study was centered on
the experiences of these WoC through the exploration of the following research questions:
1. How do WoC utilize their cultural assets and skills on their journey to academic
library leadership?
2. How do WoC navigate gender inequalities on their path to academic library
leadership?
3. How do WoC navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their
path to academic library leadership?
This chapter discusses the findings organized by the research questions. The findings
include the themes described in Chapter Four. These findings were the utilization of the
women’s cultural assets and skills, navigating gender inequalities in academic librarianship
leadership, and navigating challenges in academic librarianship leadership: Cultural taxation,
emotional labor, and racial fatigue. Also, this section includes five recommendations for practice,
limitations, delimitations, recommendations for future research, and a conclusion.
Discussion of Findings
Critical race feminism was the theoretical framework of the study. This theory is nurtured
by CRT and feminism theories (Delgado & Stefancic, 2013; Geary, 2016; Wing, 2003). This
theoretical framework emphasizes intersectionality, empowering women’s voices, shifting of
power, resistance to the patriarchy, antiracist lens, and critical reflection (Hines-Datiri, 2020;

74
King, 2022; Wing, 2015). Through semi-structured interviews and CRF, this study highlighted
the experiences and viewpoints of 15 WoC, empowering them (Grbich, 2013; Hesse-Biber,
2014). The lens of CRF not only recognizes the nuanced intersections of gender, class, and
ethnicity that impact WoC in academic librarianship but also honors their success as leaders and
their tenacity (Hines-Datiri, 2020; King, 2022; Wing, 2015).
The CRF lens sheds light on the findings through different aspects: The exploration of the
cultural assets and skills emphasizes empowering women’s voices by challenging the deficit
views, the centralization of their experiences, and intersectionality (Cooky, 2017). The
navigation of gender inequalities is linked with the analysis of how the patriarchy works and
imprints power asymmetries (Saini, 2023). In addition, the exploration of cultural taxation,
emotional labor, and racial fatigue are related to the antiracist lens. This study focused on
shifting power in higher education structured by Whiteness, intersectionality, and power
asymmetries analysis, which investigated the presence of oppressive systems within society
(Delgado Bernal, 2018).
Utilization of Cultural Assets and Skills
The following section discusses the findings regarding the first research question about
how WoC utilize their assets and skills on their journey to academic library leadership. The
findings pertain to their serendipitous discovery of librarianship, their intentionality of building a
leadership career, and mobility for other professional positions. Also, the support groups,
strategic friendships, and formal and informal mentorship are the safe spaces for this group of
professionals. In addition, most women recognized their communication skills and their need to
build communities as the biggest assets in leadership. The findings indicate that most of the

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women interviewed acknowledged their strengths in building relationships, community
involvement, empathic leadership, and drive to continue developing their leadership skills.
The CRF lens analyzes these findings by challenging the deficit views and illuminating
WoC’s successes in the leadership journey (Cooky, 2017). Critical race feminism defines
individuals through the intersections they traverse (Crenshaw, 1991). The analysis of the
different assets and skills of the WoC interviewed defines them along with their race, class,
education, sex, and gender (Romero, 2018; Wing, 2013).
Discovering Librarianship and Professional Growth and Strategies
Most of the women interviewed stumbled upon the profession of librarianship
serendipitously while working in campus libraries as library student workers or library staff.
Their supervisors often introduced them to the field and discussed scholarship opportunities.
Even though they discovered the librarianship profession by chance, all the women interviewed
were intentional with their leadership path in the field. Most of them utilized scholarships and
fellowships to study librarianship.
In addition, they intentionally selected their training and professional development
experiences in their path to leadership. The pursuit of new knowledge was the result of
consultations with colleagues, mentors, and networks. One participant even obtained another
graduate degree.
The other assets were their flexibility and clarity in moving and changing jobs to
construct a more solid leadership career or leave toxic workplaces. Many of the women
interviewed described their professional moves, changing not only campus but also states. These
mobilities implied not always moving up in the profession but lateral changes to find better
places to work, leaving toxic workplaces.

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All the women interviewed mentioned some of the initiatives that the librarianship
implemented over the years to close the demographic gap: The ALA Diversity Grant, the ALA
Emerging Leaders Program, the ALA Leadership Institute, the ALA Spectrum Fellowship, the
ARL Kaleidoscope program, the ARL Leadership and Career Development Program, Harvard
Leadership institute for academic librarians, and the Minnesota Institute for early career
librarians (ALA 2024b; ALA, 2022; C. L. Kendrick, 2023; Harvard, 2024).
Minter and Chamblee-Smith (2018) described similar strategies developed by the
participants. To build a strong leadership career, the authors established that WoC need to nurture
its interpersonal skills, generate a network, and have strong mentorship to disrupt discriminative
structures. Overcoming White spaces demands intentionality in professional growth.
It Takes a Village: Mentorship, Networking, Strategic Friendships, and Support Groups
As Counterspaces
Although their initial encounters with librarianship were serendipitous, all the women
included in the study were very strategic about their professional development, training, and
mentorship experiences to gain experience in leadership. All the WoC interviewed said they were
immersed in formal and informal training and experiences.
These experiences not only contributed to their professional growth but also to strategic
friendships. Sotiropoulau and Cranston defined the concept of strategic friendships (2023). These
strategic friendships are different from academic friendships in the sense that they emphasize
collaboration and discourse, which entails sincere and analytical introspection, open sharing of
information, attentive engagement, and beneficial evaluation. The objective is to foster mutual
personal and professional growth in a non-intimidating environment.

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In addition, these formal and informal professional development experiences nurture the
creation of support groups with professionals in the field and other academic areas. The
composition of these groups differed from woman to woman; some of the interviewees described
them as composed of all WoC, others were composed of only people of color, and other groups
were composed of different ethnicities.
These groups have been in their life for years, and they are the space where they ask
questions, confine their doubts and sufferings, reach for advice, and celebrate their successes.
The mentorship, strategic friendships, and support groups acted as counter spaces, safe and
welcoming spaces for individuals who faced discrimination and exclusion. This is similar to
counterspaces discussed in past literature (Solózano et al., 2000; Carter, 2007). Counterspaces
are safe spaces that disrupt and challenge processes against Whiteness (Case & Hunter, 2014;
Case & Hunter, 2012; Comer et al., 2017; Margherio et al., 2020).
Counterspaces as safe and nurturing spaces and acts of resistance have been analyzed in
librarianship. Anantachai et al. (2023) mentioned joining diversity-aligned committees and
groups from professional associations, mentoring, and many of the training experiences
mentioned by WoC during the interviews. Professional conferences centered on the voices of
BIPOC librarians were another example of counterspaces in librarianship (Masunaga et al.,
2022).
Community Builders and Ethics of Care
Exploring cultural assets and skills was vital in investigating the primary strengths of the
women interviewed. Their responses revolved around fostering community through relationshipbuilding, cultivating authentic connections, demonstrating empathy, showing compassion, and

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displaying kindness. One respondent considered her assets in the realm of the principles of
librarianship.
Most women indicated the significance of creating community through deliberate acts of
empathy, authenticity, compassion, and kindness. These are their assets as leaders in academic
librarianship. Remarkably, these feminine qualities are often challenging to cultivate in
environments like academic librarianship and higher education, where predominantly masculine
traits are typically prioritized and valued.
Moreover, the words empathy, compassion, authenticity, kindness, and relation-building
evoke the realm of ethics of care. Many of the leaders interviewed expressed their leadership
style in these terms. Ethics of care developed during the second-wave feminism movement
(Gilligan, 1993; Held, 2005). It is a theory focused on the activity of care, a network of
relationships, and positionality (Branicki, 2020; Higgins, 2020).
Academic librarianship has applied ethics of care to library instruction (Accardi, 2010)
and reference processes (Arellano-Douglas, 2018; Accardi, 2017). These authors incorporated
this theory to define better professional practices centering on empathy and disrupting power
hierarchies. More recently, Fancher (2023) interconnected the theory of care and radical empathy
concepts since they emphasize understanding, compassion, and relationality in ethical and moral
decision-making. The author also established the benefits of aligning radical empathy and ethics
of care to overcome burnout.
Motivation
Most of the women interviewed recognized their motivation to continue in the profession
and the leadership path because they could impact the library and the campus, mainly the
students. Two of the participants claimed to be catalysts for fostering authentic inclusion. Three

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other participants expressed their motivation for pursuing initiatives and activities they enjoy and
their confidence in their abilities in their respective roles.
The findings are similar to other works regarding WoC as academic leaders (MontasHunter, 2012; Olivas, 2014). A strong sense of values (Montes-Hunger, 2012) and commitment
to their communities (Gray, 2017; Olivas, 2014) are pivotal elements in the leadership
motivation of leaders of color. The women interviewed were committed to impacting and
creating leadership aspirations for other WoC entering the profession.
Navigating Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership
This section discusses the findings regarding Research Question 2 about how WoC
navigates gender inequalities on its path to academic library leadership. These findings align
with CRF since this theory analyzes the power asymmetries generated by the patriarchy, the
shifting of this power, and the visions against the patriarchy (Delgado Bernal, 2018).
Every woman acknowledged the gender disparities in the field. Most of them shared
various experiences of inequity, except for one woman who had no experience to share. The
experiences varied regarding inequality, ranging from salary disparities to the perceived value of
male opinions over females in meetings.
The findings of this study showed a big spectrum of gender inequalities. Numerous
interviewees indicated that males held many positions of department heads and other leadership
positions. At the same time, women do most of the labor, making an analogy with another
feminized profession such as nursing. Aligning with this finding, another woman discussed how
the structures are built to facilitate men holding positions of authority. Another finding was that
feminine attributes such as empathy, communication, nurturing, sensitivity, and empowerment
were not considered values in leadership positions.

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Gender disparities might manifest in subtle ways. One of the women interviewed narrated
how a man consistently disrupted a small leadership team with his discriminatory remarks. In the
same realm of inequalities, another librarian described a female dean who praised the only male
librarian for his achievements despite not working as diligently as his female coworkers. Another
leader recounted her experiences of being mistaken for a student rather than a faculty due to her
age and ethnicity.
Gender disparities were more pronounced on other occasions. One finding revealed
salary disparities when a new male employee received a significantly larger wage than the leader
interviewed despite her decade-long tenure at the institution. Lastly, one of the librarians shared
her personal experience where a man with a PhD in a different field was appointed as the head of
the department instead of her, who had expertise in library sciences. She assumed the second-incommand role, handling most tasks and reaching the campus community.
The conclusions drawn in this study are logical and coherent, considering the broader
context of the field. Gender inequalities are still prevalent in the profession (Eva et al., 2021), not
only in power asymmetries but also in salary inequalities (Galbraith et al., 2019; Howard et al.,
2020). Gender inequalities are a wide array of disparities that also intersect with variables such
as race, class, and education (Chou & Pho, 2017; Joseph et al., 2019). The findings agree with
these authors; the women interviewed narrated different levels of gender inequalities. The
interviews also corroborated the fact that patriarchy acts in different levels and spaces with
dissimilar levels of aggression (Saini, 2023).

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Navigating Challenges in Academic Librarianship: Emotional Labor, Cultural Taxation,
and Racial Fatigue
This section discusses the findings regarding Research Question 3 about how WoC
navigate emotional labor, cultural taxation, and racial fatigue on their path to academic library
leadership. Critical race feminism proposes the shifting of power of racist structures that exist in
higher education and academic libraries (Geary, 2016). In addition, CRF analyzes situations
through an intersectionality lens; this implies that every woman is unique, defined by the
intersection of class, race, education, and profession (Sparkes & Smith, 2014). Lastly, these
findings are intertwined by power asymmetries analysis, which looks at the systems of
oppression in society (Delgado Bernal, 2018).
Cultural Taxation
Cultural taxation is the term used to describe the situation where faculty members of
color, including academic librarians of color, are required to perform extra tasks linked to their
culture or identity in the workplace, typically without receiving any additional payment or
acknowledgment (Canton, 2013; Padilla, 1994). All the librarians who were interviewed found
resonance with this idea. At some point in their careers, they acknowledged that they were
operating in a culturally taxed environment.
In addition to their primary job descriptions, these leaders undertake diverse tasks. This
includes active participation in the DEI library, campus, or professional association committees.
Moreover, many of them worked in the celebration of the library or campus heritage months.
Notably, two leaders participated in hiring committees consistently; one taught classes, another
oversaw the selection of all the ethnic materials for the library, and one librarian worked as a
translator and interpreter without compensation.

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Many gave illustrations and various justifications for their acceptance of the task. One of
the interviewees felt pressure due to her involvement in the tenure track process, while another
leader prioritized relationship-building with students and faculty. Another identified a chance to
secure a promotion and enhance her portfolio. Another librarian believed that her involvement in
the DEI committee was significant. They all reported that these impositions had an impact on
their later jobs. However, some women examined could benefit from it, and they learned how to
manage these situations better now.
The findings of this study were in accordance with the results of previous work on this
topic in librarianship (Anantachai & Chesley, 2018) and Latina faculty (Apodaca, 2021).
Anantachai and Chesley (2018) found that WoC librarians made more service commitments
because of their ethnicity. Apodaca (2021) found that these assigned tasks varied over time in
Latina faculty. It is pivotal to remark that the interviewees felt these tasks were something of the
past, and they have learned to implement better boundaries within their workload.
Emotional Labor and Racial Fatigue
Emotional labor is the process of controlling one’s emotions to meet expectations at
work. It entails controlling and regulating one’s feelings, ideas, expressions, and body language
in reaction to work-related circumstances (Grady, 2016). Meanwhile, racial fatigue is the
cumulative psychological and emotional toll that people of color endure from daily exposure to
prejudice and discrimination, according to Smith et al. (2007). In these works and in the study,
emotional labor and racial fatigue are intertwined since the women interviewed felt the need to
immerse themselves in this practice to navigate White spaces such as academic libraries and
university campuses.

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All the WoC interviewed acknowledged the emotional labor process in which they were
involved, some daily and others at some point during their professional lives. Additionally, they
used terms that connected them to racial exhaustion. As one of the participants described, the
performance of Whiteness exhausted her.
The performance manifested in various ways: altering the attire to appear more
professional or less feminine, controlling or concealing emotions, and adjusting the intensity of
their speech. Despite their efforts, some interviewees felt betrayed since they could not express
themselves at work. The WoC stated that they required emotional exertion to maintain a
professional facade in predominantly White environments. Racial fatigue is connected to
emotional labor due to a feeling of exhaustion and inauthenticity stemming from the need to
conform to Whiteness.
Interviewees narrated what the research has described before in the literature. Emotional
labor entails managing difficult and frequently emotionally charged circumstances, including
confronting prejudice or discrimination, without appearing enraged or overly emotional. These
findings confirm the work of Bright (2018); academic librarians of color may be more likely to
experience microaggressions, discrimination, and stereotype threat, leading to increased
emotional labor and racial fatigue (Chancellor, 2018; Garnar, 2021; Rhodes et al., 2023).
WoC in academic librarianship are vulnerable to emotional labor and racial fatigue.
Porter et al. (2018) established an interwoven relationship between these two concepts.
Emotional labor occurs, and then a person feels racial fatigue because of the pressure to hide
authenticity.
Racial fatigue includes the mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion that individuals
experience when they are subjected to racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. Emotional

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labor and racial fatigue are two intertwined concepts that have been researched in LIS, especially
in academic librarians (Alabi, 2015; Chancellor, 2018; Garnar, 2021). This study’s findings are
similar to past literature; emotional labor and racial fatigue also occur in the LIS leadership
realm (Batte & Lowe, 2022; K.D. Kendrick, 2023).
Health Impact
When most women in the study talked about racial exhaustion and emotional work, they
often talked about it as a weight over their spirits as well as their bodies. Some interviewees
believed they were betraying themselves by separating their authenticity from their profession.
Throughout the interviews, it was evident how the participants’ physical and mental health were
affected by cultural taxation, emotional work, and racial exhaustion.
Emotional labor and racial fatigue were palpable in the interactions with the women,
necessitating extra work and ongoing supervision to uphold a mask of professionalism in these
mostly White spaces. Racial fatigue was linked to emotional labor because women felt drained
and inauthentic because of the expectation to conform to Whiteness. Cultural taxation, emotional
labor, and racial weariness impacted the participant’s physical and mental health. The intensity of
these health impacts differed across various women. Issues related to mental health, weight gain,
high blood pressure, and even cancer have been associated with the burdens of cultural taxation,
emotional work, and racial exhaustion.
Racial fatigue, emotional labor, and cultural taxation are significant phenomena that
profoundly impact the overall well-being of the women interviewed. This aligns with the study
by Chancellor (2019) and Porter (2018) who indicated psychological, physiological, and
behavioral stress responses to racial fatigue. This study also found that participants narrated
effects on spiritual well-being.

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Coping Mechanisms and Healing
The interviews indicated the tangible effects of cultural taxation, emotional work, and
racial exhaustion on the individuals’ physical and mental health. Exploring the coping and
healing strategies for these physiological and spiritual effects was also crucial. Some
acknowledged that the interview provided the first chance to address these subjects and discuss
recovery.
Several individuals discussed mental therapy, mindfulness, alternative medicine, and
spiritual activities. One of the librarians narrated how she learned to set boundaries over the
years. Meanwhile, one of the leaders started to play the piano and paint during the COVID-19
period, a practice that she continues.
All interviewees indicated they had an external support network outside of their
workplace. These groups have been integral to their lives for an extended period, offering a
secure space to inquire, share their concerns and sorrows, seek guidance, and commemorate their
achievements. They established strategic relationships (Sotiropoulau & Cranston, 2023) and
created support networks with experts in the topic, other academic disciplines, and family
members. The composition of these groupings varied across individuals, with some interviewees
categorizing them as all WoC, some as entirely BIPOC, and others as a blend of ethnicities.
Coping mechanisms in academic WoC leaders were studied in higher education (BaxterNuamah, 2025; Chance, 2022) and librarianship (K. D. Kendrick and Damasco, 2017).
Specifically, Baxter-Nuamah (2015) indicated a similar coping mechanism to the study’s
participants: nurturing strong support and spiritual practices, artistic outlet, and music as
participants deal with stress. Similar to the findings of this study, K. D. Kendrick and Damasco
(2017) also specified that reaching professional engagement, increasing self-care and mental

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health, or leaving the workplace are also specified. Colón-Aguirre and Webb (2022) proposed the
analysis of a better workload, creating time in the life of the librarians to achieve a better worklife balance.
Recommendations for Practice
The following section shares recommendations based on the research’s findings. The
study’s findings determined that most interviewees stumbled across librarianship as a career, but
they consciously chose to take leadership roles. All the women interviewed were committed and
motivated to impact their campus community, influence the students, and contribute to
increasing diversity in higher education. In addition, most women moved around the United
States in different professional positions to advance in their profession and lateral movement to
abandon toxic workplaces.
According to the findings of this study, the leaders interviewed supported their leadership
path through different avenues, including formal training and mentorship experiences. This
leadership path was carried through informal support groups outside of the workplace and
strategic friendships. Many of these groups began in formal settings, have persisted over the
years, and function as counterspaces. Cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial weariness are
real and hurt people’s well-being, including not only their physical health but also their mental
health and spirit. Many women interviewed said they participate in mental therapy, alternative
medicine, spiritual activities, and support groups outside the library.
The following recommendations concern career development, formal training, and
counterspaces. Organizations also need to do better regarding the health impact on WoC.
Academic libraries have been trying to diversify their workforce for the last 30 years. Still, they
have yet to work on improving these spaces regarding emotional labor and racial fatigue.

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Recommendation 1: Improve Scholarship and Fellowship to Support Entry Into the Career
of WoC
Scholarships and fellowships are pivotal to cementing the initial leadership journey. Most
interviewees received the ALA Spectrum Fellowship, which helped them financially and
provided training and mentorship experiences. Such scholarships and fellowships must continue
to support the beginning of WoC in the profession.
The study revealed that most interviewees serendipitously discovered librarianship as a
profession but deliberately decided to become leaders. Library science departments must analyze
how to improve the pipeline between student library workers and professional librarians since
most women interviewed discovered the profession working in their campus libraries.
Librarianship should be an option from the beginning and only sometimes be discovered
accidentally.
Professional associations and universities should improve their recruitment efforts into
the profession. Intentional recruitment of BIPOC individuals is effective (C. L. Kendrick, 2023).
Established in 2001, the Knowledge River Scholar Program at University of Arizona is an
established program centered on ethnic and cultural awareness. Its annual cohort comprises
people of color communities to increase ethnic and cultural diversity in the field (University of
Arizona, School of Information, 2024).
In addition, the University of California Los Angeles has been awarded a 1.25 million
grant from the Mellon Foundation to create a Radical Librarianship Institute. This institute aims
to develop and implement a comprehensive librarian program that promotes inclusivity and
social justice principles (Burman, 2022).

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Furthermore, Espinal et al. (2021) proposed to create postbaccalaureate fellowships in
academic libraries to give the opportunity to acquire a Master’s in Library Sciences (MLS) for
the BIPOC library workers.
Recommendation 2: Continue Strengthening the Formal Training and Mentorship
Experiences for WoC
Formal training and mentorship experiences outside organizations are pivotal to
cementing future professional leaders, especially those dedicated to minority groups. It is crucial
to continue these experiences, focusing on librarianship skills and leadership in different parts of
the career. This recommendation is especially imperative in times of budget cuts across academic
libraries on United States campuses.
More importantly, they are the spaces where the professionals created part of the support
groups. This study found that most women interviewed have a group supporting their leadership
journey. These groups of people created counterspaces to confine and consult challenges and
celebrate success with authenticity.
The profession has numerous successful experiences that should continue and be
replicated (Anantachai, 2016). Masunaga et al. (2022) proposed the creation of librarianship
professional conferences focused only on people of color as a strategy for creating
counterspaces. “We here” serves as an illustration of counterspaces, which is a community
specifically designed for people of color. This community provides assistance, networking,
mentorship, and workshop possibilities (2023). Another illustration is Up/root, a publication
platform that aims to enhance knowledge in the library profession by promoting disruption and
amplifying diverse voices (up/root, 2024). Espinal et al. (2023) initiated a project to fund the
University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries to support people of color employees

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participating in the profession’s safe spaces: professional associations, conferences, networks,
strategic friendships, and support groups.
Recommendation 3: Academic Libraries Must Consider the Health Impact of WoC in
Academic Libraries
Academic libraries must consider the health impact WoC confront in organizations
defined by Whiteness. Academic libraries are focused on hiring diverse workforces but must also
prepare themselves to have these WoC in the workplace. Despite the multiple initiatives to
increase inclusion in librarianship, WoC still experience emotional labor and racial fatigue at
academic libraries. The consequences of not addressing this issue will prolong the abandonment
of WoC in the profession and the detriment of having an inclusive profession.
According to the findings of this study, cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial
exhaustion were tangible, and they had a detrimental impact on the participants’ health, including
not just their body health but also their mental and spiritual well-being. Adopting radical
empathy and ethics of care as a management style that supports work/life balance is a solution to
integrate the different voices of the organization. This management style emphasizes compassion
and authenticity (Fancher, 2021).
Furthermore, the concept of slow librarianship disrupts the hustle culture. Slow
librarianship aligns with the values of ethics of care since offers a solution to the constant
urgency demanded in academic libraries (Farkas, 2021; Glassman, 2017). This concept came
from the slow food movement (Farkas, 2021). It claims to move beyond the ongoing rush and
focus on reflective and intentional professional practice (Glassman, 2017). It proposes to slow
down and analyze what is important; it is to prevail the importance of services, programs, and
initiatives over the rush of new projects (Farkas, 2021).

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Keating and Cardena (2022) emphasized strengthening the onboarding process for all
employees, including the managerial style. It is pivotal to have clear expectations from the
beginning of the positions. Moreover, Doan & Kennedy (2022) recommended doing an equative
division of the DEI work among the library workforces. Diversity, equity, and inclusion activities
are some of the sources of emotional labor and racial fatigue for people of color.
In addition, the California Library Association 2024 conference will be focusing on
work-life balance (CLA, 2024). Colón-Aguirre and Kavanagh (2022) proposed more time for
librarians to achieve a better work-life balance. The authors also proposed reviewing the
workloads and expectations in the positions to avoid burnout. These revisions are impossible
when the organization is unstaffed—filling vacant positions also aligned with better work-life
conditions.
Recommendation 4: Shifting Whitness Structures in Higher Education
Academic libraries are part of colleges and universities, which are enrooted in historical
structures of Whiteness. These structures perpetuate systems of privilege and oppression. The
study’s findings show that these structures impact all expectations of the lives of WoC, not just
the professional. There is no real solution if organizations are not immersed in real change and
embrace anti-racist practices.
Several authors proposed aligning LIS education with CRT principles to shift from
Whiteness principles, such as leaving neutrality as a core concept. Librarianship is about social
justice and anti-racism practices (Garnar, 2021; Jennings & Kinzer, 2021). In addition, Leung
and López-McKnight proposed extending the tenets of CRT to the rest of the profession,
including professional associations, governing bodies, guidelines, and professional standards

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(2021). To achieve that, it is necessary to include all the voices in society with equal power and
value.
Recommendation 5: Rest Is Part of the Resistance to Whiteness
Women of color academic library leaders should incorporate rest as a norm in their lives.
Rest is perhaps one of the most powerful healing strategies for the health consequences of
cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue. According to the study’s findings, WoC had
a strong commitment to their positions and was focused on making an impact in their library,
campuses, and community. Their work was beyond their suffering of being immersed in
structure informed by Whiteness.
In addition, rest is a healing method and an act of resistance towards Whiteness (Hersey,
2022). Whiteness is immersed in the rules of capitalism, where the individual is only a
productive item in the system. Hersey proposed community rest, naps, and rest as
countermeasures to Whiteness for Black communities. Also, Colón-Aguirre and Webb (2022)
suggested examining workload optimization to allocate time more effectively for librarians,
hence promoting a healthier work-life balance. Rest is an answer to a better personal and
professional life.
Limitations and Delimitations
Like any research method, qualitative research interviews have limitations (Grbich,
2013). For this study, the interviews were done during August through October, the busiest time
for an academic librarian. The beginning of the academic year in any higher education
organization demands outreach events, information literacy classes, having the library building
full of students, the return of the instruction faculty to the campus, hiring of new staff and

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professionals, and the presentation and evolution of dossiers for tenure track librarians. Another
limitation is that the study did not include people who left the profession because of burnout.
Another limitation is the small number of people to be interviewed since a minimal
number of people could impact the findings (McGregor, 2018). Another limitation is social
desirability bias, where the interviewees answer desirable responses instead of honest ones
(Roller & Lavrakas, 2015). This research built a strong rapport during the interviews with the
interviewees to capture frank answers.
In CRF methodology, empowering the women interviewed is pivotal. Therefore, the
researcher must be aware of disempowered spaces during the research process (Gillies &
Alldred, 2002; Wickramasingue, 2010). During the interviews, the researcher intentionally
avoided research-participant hierarchies. In addition, the participants had ownership over the
experience. This translates to the participants’ ability to ask questions, set boundaries, and follow
up conversations. Moreover, all the interviewees were grateful for the opportunity to tell their
stories and their successful journeys and talk about how impactful it is to work in predominately
white institutions when you have a different culture.
Delimitations are about the boundaries or parameters set in the study (Cottrell &
McKenzie, 2011). This study’s delimitations were the period and the geographical scope where
the data was collected (Cottrell & McKenzie, 2011). This research collected data between
August 25 and October 13, 2023, in the territory of the United States. In addition, delimitations
are also about the populations to be inquired about (McGregor, 2018). This study interviewed
WoC who are also academic librarianship leaders.

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Recommendations for Future Research
The recommendations for future research in this area focus on more specialized studies
regarding the ethnicity and positions of the participants. This study focuses on WoC across the
United States; it would be pivotal in future research on individual WoC ethnicities. In addition, it
will be valid to explore a specific academic library position such as associate dean or
dean/director. Another research path may be centered on the same type of academic libraries,
such as libraries from community colleges, libraries from 4-year colleges, libraries from
universities with a high level of research, libraries from public organizations, and libraries from
private organizations.
In addition, the women interviewed in this study manifested health issues because of
immersing themselves in White organizations. They do emotional labor and experience racial
fatigue constantly. It would be interesting to explore this process and the resistance process that
WoC have developed through the years. Is it possible to achieve a work-life balance in an
environment of budget cuts and overload? How can WoC heal from emotional labor and racial
fatigue while working in White organizations?
Exploring the variable counterspaces, ethnicity, ages, and years in the profession would
also be interesting. This exploration will aim to study whether there are specific counterspaces
aligned with ages and years in the profession. Moreover, it is valid to analyze whether there is an
alignment between ethnicities and the selection of counterspaces.
Additionally, along the lines of the work of Loya et al. (2023), it would be valid to study
the identities of the WoC who immigrants to the U.S. academic libraries. Observing how their
different identities intersect with their librarian positions would be interesting. And how they
perceived their emotional labor and racial fatigue dynamics.

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Many authors propose critical race theory as a strategy to shift Whiteness structures from
the library profession. Exploring the professional practices aligned with this theory across the
United States would be interesting. This analysis could include areas of the profession, gender,
age, type of universities, and geographical regions.
Conclusions
The study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges WoC
encounter in academic librarianship leadership and the assets they cultivate to surmount these
obstacles. The challenges described by the women interviewed were in the realm of gender
inequalities, cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial fatigue. The study also examined the
consequences of these challenges on their physical and mental health, even at the spiritual level.
The women also narrated how to navigate these challenges and how they created counterspaces
to support their journey in organizations informed by Whiteness.
This study is important because it reinforces the importance of providing formal training
experiences for WoC in academic librarianship outside their organization. This includes
fellowships to study the master’s in library sciences or information sciences and leadership
training in different periods of the profession. These experiences are essential because of formal
education and because they originated in informal support groups where women were constantly
nurtured. These support groups provide counterspaces outside the organization, creating
reflection, nurturing, and healing spaces for the interviewees.
Almost all the women recounted their encounters with gender inequity in academic
libraries and higher education through interviews. Patriarchy exists in many forms and levels of
intensity. The interviewees encountered situations like frequent interruptions by males during

95
meetings, being requested to fulfill tasks without being promoted or compensated, and low
compensation.
Cultural taxation, emotional labor, and racial exhaustion had a tangible impact on their
overall well-being, affecting not just their physical health but also their mental and spiritual wellbeing. Some women believed they were compromising their true selves by separating their
authenticity from their professional lives. Several women interviewed cited mental therapy,
mindfulness, alternative medicine, spiritual practices, and support groups as coping mechanisms
and methods of healing, separate from their workplace at the library.
Diversifying academic libraries is imperative for representation. Students need to feel that
they belong to the complex process of higher education. Also, it enriches the dynamics in any
library. Diverse staff in academic libraries bring different perspectives, enhance cultural
competence, and improve relationships with the community. Understanding how academic
libraries can improve the work of WoCs, who are leaders in their institutions, is pivotal not only
for the library profession but also for the higher education system.
This work is the culmination of reflections on management practices in academic
libraries for nine years. It was an opportunity to create a space of reflection about how WoC built
successful leadership careers and consider the hurdles they faced. This study allowed the
interviewees and the researcher to reflect on their professional practice. This experience was a
point of healing for past traumas through the narration, description, and reflection of difficult
situations. This research nurtured a celebration space through the perspectives and narratives of
the 15 WoC leaders in academic librarianship.

96
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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Thank you for participating in this interview. This study aims to learn more about your
thoughts and experiences regarding barriers and assets of your leadership journey in academic
librarianship. Your involvement is crucial to assisting me in comprehending the complexities and
nuances of your experience.
This interview will take 45 minutes to 1 hour. During this interview, I will ask you openended questions to better understand your thoughts, experiences, and points of view regarding
your challenges and assets in your journey as a leader. In addition, there are questions to better
understand your past experiences, and viewpoints on gender inequalities, emotional labor,
cultural taxation, and racial fatigue. I value your candor and authenticity and encourage you to
share as much or as little as you feel comfortable.
Assets in Academic Librarianship Leadership
1. Please provide a detailed account of the steps, experiences, and milestones that
shaped your journey to becoming a leader in academic librarianship.
2. Please describe the strategies and approaches you employed to effectively navigate
the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities encountered during your leadership
journey.
3. How do you support your leadership journey? Could you describe the specific group
of people who support you and how they contribute to your well-being or goals?
What practices do you use to support and enhance your leadership journey?
4. Describe what you think was your biggest asset to becoming a leader in academic
leadership.

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Gender Inequalities in Academic Librarianship Leadership
1. In your perspective, how do you observe gender inequalities within our profession?
2. Please share and provide a detailed description of a specific instance, if applicable,
where you encountered a situation that required you to navigate through an
experience of gender inequalities.
Challenges in Academic Librarianship Leadership
1. Please describe any emotional adjustment you made at your workplace or to a
specific task. These adjustments can be through thoughts, body language, or
expressions.
2. How do you perceive the impact of these emotional adjustments on you, mentally,
physically, or spiritually?
3. Please share a specific instance in which you were assigned a task, project, or
initiative directly influenced by your cultural background, and provide a detailed
description of the experience. How do you navigate the experience?
4. How do you perceive the impact of these emotional adjustments on you, mentally,
physically, or spiritually?
5. Please provide a detailed description of a specific instance in which you faced
challenges related to navigating issues of race within your professional experiences.
How would you describe feeling worn out or exhausted by these interactions?
6. How do you perceive the impact of these emotional adjustments on you, mentally,
physically, or spiritually?

127
Conclusion
Thank you for participating and taking the time to speak with me. This study focuses on
your opinions and experiences regarding your journey as a leader in academic librarianship.
Your participation is essential to helping me understand the complexities and subtleties of this
issue.

Abstract (if available)

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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Asset Metadata

Creator Molteni, Valeria Estela (author)

Core Title Experiences of women of color leaders in academic libraries

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2024-05

Publication Date 05/14/2024

Defense Date 03/29/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic librarianship,counterspaces,critical race feminism,cultural taxation,emotional labor,female leaders,gender inequalities,Higher education,OAI-PMH Harvest,racial fatigue,whiteness

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Hinga, Briana (committee chair), Canny, Eric (committee member), Ly, Pearl (committee member)

Creator Email molteni@usc.edu,vmolteni@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113932664

Unique identifier UC113932664

Identifier etd-MolteniVal-12913.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-MolteniVal-12913

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Molteni, Valeria Estela

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20240515-usctheses-batch-1150 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu