Conference on Academic Library Management 2026

Conflict between employees in academic libraries often plays out behind closed doors, shielded by confidentiality policies, HR protocols, and privacy requirements. While these safeguards are essential, they can create an impression among staff that leadership is inactive or indifferent. This session offers candid reflections based on composites of real-world scenarios, exploring the challenges of managing personnel issues when transparency is constrained.

Presenters will share how they approached mediation, collaborated with campus partners, documented concerns, and balanced institutional expectations with compassion and supporting mental well-being. And yet, even with multiple tools and proactive practices in place, there remains some sense of dissatisfaction after the process came to a close. They will reflect on lessons learned–including the value of early expectation setting, proactive communication strategies, and framing messages that respect confidentiality while aiming to foster trust–as well as some lingering disappointment still felt by the parties involved.

Because many library workers only see the silence surrounding personnel matters, this session aims to demystify what happens behind the scenes and equip leaders with practical tools for navigating both visible and invisible aspects of conflict. Attendees will leave with strategies to uphold integrity, empathy, and organizational stability during difficult situations.