Hope for the Future

Abstract

This essay focuses on how academic libraries can have hope despite low morale, burnout, and budgetary issues. Despite these challenging times, it is an opportunity for an employee focused future of work and life balance. It is also a time to redress relationships with historically marginalized groups by examining pay equity, workload distribution, and diversity issues. Libraries have been so focused on the yearly budget that they are not thinking about the long term issues. Libraries that survive the next budget crunch will inherit a fractured workplace if equity and diversity issues are not addressed.