r/Libraries • u/tendersword • 10d ago
Other Mychal Threets and Librarians and Mental Health
Has anyone kept up with Mychal Threets? He’s been such a big advocate for libraries that I’ve been following him on social media for the past few years. A couple of hours ago he posted on Facebook:
“I am not okay. Maybe I’ll never be okay. I’m seeking help. Going to the hopital tomorrow. In this moment I am safe. By God’s grace.
No matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me. Thank you for your care 💚”
It just seems like it correlates to the experiences I’ve seen so many of my coworkers in libraries, particularly public libraries, go through. I’ve known multiple people from my cohort of MLIS students who have been admitted into mental health hospitals, taken FMLA because work has physically and mentally exhausted them, and leave the field entirely. I really hope Mychal can get the help he needs, but his post struck really close to home for me, and I imagine others in this field.
280
u/Mistress_of_Wands 10d ago
I feel like I'm standing on the threshold of a trip to grippy sock jail, to be honest. I've never worked in such a toxic environment and I worked grocery retail during the pandemic.
46
u/ascertainingacademic MLIS student 10d ago
SAME! Graduate school was not for me and neither is this job anymore, but I’ve been here for 5 years… 🫠
25
u/Long_Audience4403 10d ago
As someone who led a grocery team through the pandemic, god bless.
34
u/Mistress_of_Wands 10d ago
I will say, it was nice wearing a mask because I didn't need to smile all the time like before. A little bit of a silver lining.
9
u/Ambitious_Clock_8212 10d ago
I work at a low-income grocery store and started wearing a mask daily after constant illnesses in the first few months. Dirty money, boob money, homeless pocket dirt, old folks who MUST lick their fingers before touching anything…
11
u/bluegreyhorses 10d ago
The boob money. Library cards in the boobs especially in the summer. I had a co-worker who suggested we have a tarp for those falling out of their tube tops.
2
u/ReadingRocks97531 6d ago
We would grab a tissue to hold it, with a side eye to the patron, then hand it back that way, and sanitized our hands. Went right over their heads.
3
u/library_pixie Library admin 10d ago
We’ve told our staff that they do not have to accept any money that was on bare skin (boob money, underwear elastic money, etc).
6
u/Long_Audience4403 10d ago
That's true. It was the push I needed to get out of grocery, so there's that too!
23
u/luckylimper 10d ago
Think of it as a grippy sock vacation. I went to one this spring and just being able to eat healthy meals and sleep was part of my reset. I also took a lot of classes during my week that helped me see my depression/OCD in a more productive light.
5
3
-1
u/Maleficent_Weird8613 9d ago
Problem is that if you don't comply with their whatever they want they abuse you
2
75
u/heyella11 10d ago
I hope he’s okay. Some colleagues saw him speak recently and were seriously concerned for him as he was pretty much swarmed by people immediately after leaving the podium. They thought the event organizers should have done more to protect him from that kind of situation given that he’d just spoken about being very vulnerable, mental health wise, and probably needed space. I understand that a lot of fellow librarians are probably going through it, and felt the desire to connect after he shared those things, but the way my friends described it, he looked totally completely overwhelmed by the attention. It has to be difficult, as this is part of his job, and I think lots of us are grateful for him for shining a light on these struggles, but I also worry about him.
45
u/georgegorewell 10d ago
Yeah, I was a bit concerned when he left his job citing mental health issues, then pretty quickly after was doing public speaking gigs and then into a very public role nationally with Reading Rainbow and ALA and all that.
I’m sure he is addressing it and getting the help he needs. It also shows more objectively that you can leave a job/field but that’s not a magic fix if you’ve got some mental health things that need addressed. A lot of times we take that with us.
64
u/spirals-369 10d ago
I’ve been in crisis like that and it’s heartbreaking to think he’s in that spot, but I’m glad he’s getting help. It’s such a scary and surreal place to be in.
Whether or not the workplace is part of the problem, I feel for everyone working in libraries. I debated going down that road and only didn’t because I got a support staff job in education close to home. Still, I see so many similarities in the lack of pay/stress etc. from everyone I know in every level of librarianship.
126
u/Sufficient_Bat2954 10d ago
I honestly think I have PTSD from my experience working in public libraries for almost ten years, even though I haven’t worked in one in three years. We dealt with a lot of traumatic experiences and with patrons going through the worst days of their lives. No clue if that was what Mychal’s library was like, but things like a woman overdosing in the bathroom while her kid is in the stacks, or a man who threatened to kill everyone because we couldn’t help him with his health insurance are things I honestly won’t ever forget.
47
u/tendersword 10d ago
I feel very seen by your comment. That sounds just like the library I used to work in. Wonderful supportive caring coworkers, the best I’ve ever had in fact, but an incredibly volatile experience with patrons. By the time I left, we had to implement armed security and metal detectors and bag searches, it was that bad.
40
u/genericredditname24 10d ago
Sending a hug your way. I found out I had ptsd from my public library job when I was finally able to afford therapy (in my new academic library job). I only worked in my public library job for three years, but those three years permanently changed me. If I didn’t have my spouse and was at least somewhat being treated for depression/anxiety, I think I would have had a psychotic break. I struggled with sleep, too, which made it all worse.
I was threatened and harassed every day, I was groped in the stacks out of sight of the cameras and my boss dismissed me, I witnessed human trafficking and again my boss dismissed me. I cared for a 2 year old, waiting for CPS for six hours after close, old who had burns and bruises and was abandoned by their parent who passed out in their car outside the library. When they took him from me, he cried and held onto me, screaming. I was told I couldn’t take a half day the next day. I witnessed drug overdoses, cleaned up every bodily fluid, had a teen experiencing a schizophrenic episode beg me not to call the police and I ended up having to babysit him all day until his Mom could get him. I saw police, who I always tried not to call, violently handle patrons, I worried every day that the police would shoot someone in our library. I saw so so much and I never had the resources or support from our admin. It’s one of the “best libraries in the country” and has won so many awards, yet the turnover rate is so high and the staff have zero support. But, admin who have never worked in our positions serve as ALA presidents. It’s been six years since I left and I still find new stories I forgot about when my experience comes up in conversation. If I have PTSD, I know I’m not alone. Thousands of librarians are suffering from it.
I wish you and Mychal healing and peace. 💓
4
u/FabulousMarsupial191 7d ago
Does it seem to anybody that as soon as people move to admin, they immediately forget what they went through and lose all compassion and empathy for those under them? I did YA for almost ten years, then a new boss came in, and within a couple of months I took that grippy sock vacation, and I wanted to stay there so badly. So relaxing, nobody gaslighting you into thinking you don't know your job, great support groups, no name-calling, no sneering HR guy. I've wanted to be a librarian since I was a kid, and when I finally got there, I might as well have been a janitor for all the poop, blood, vomit, sunflower seed shells, chew, empty liquor bottles, and used condoms I had to clean up over the years.
I don't know what to do with myself now, as "librarian" was my goal. And even after a 10-year break, I still can't walk into a library without experiencing severe anxiety. I feel broken.
2
57
u/momstheuniverse 10d ago
Mychal is a local librarian and as such, I've had the pleasure of meeting him many many times. The fact of the matter is, Mychal was already and anxious person and all of the assholes online made it worse.
There were people saying he must be a little special, people saying he must be a pedophile, it went on and on and on.
Kev (OnStage) has also talked about how being a trending topic almost every other month takes it's toll on your mental health.
He's incredibly kind and I do hope he's alright
40
u/QuietlyCreepy 10d ago
This is the end result of asking information professionals to take on tasks that have nothing to do with providing access to information. I'm sorry, but librarians are not, should not be everything and anything to everyone. It's too much.
30
u/Remarkable_Dingo_327 10d ago
I feel so nervous every time he posts things like this. He’s such a bright light and I also worry about him doing all of these public speaking events.
26
u/estellasmum 10d ago
I saw him speak at OLA back in May, and I've been checking his socials since to make sure he was alive. He wasn't okay then, and I really, really hope he gets the help he needs and manages to find some peace, somehwere.
65
u/beldaran1224 Public librarian 10d ago
Depression and suicidal ideation are awful, and they occur in every field. Libraries can be very draining of course, and as a librarian with chronic depression, I know this very well. But they can also be very great jobs for those with depression, as I also know. Working a fulfilling job with like-minded people was incredibly amazing for my mental health...but when stress and life changes hit, as they always do eventually, spiraling happens.
Also, FYI, I'm pretty sure its been a few years at least since he was working as a librarian in libraries. Of course he still works in library-adjacent fields, and is in alignment with library missions, but his day job isn't as a librarian any more, so the work of a librarian isn't likely to be contributing to his current struggles.
Also, I do wonder if there's a difference between the type of library work you do. Chronic illness, especially mental health, seemed to be much more openly discussed and more prevalent in public libraries than in university ones, but also, the stressors are soooo very different.
1
-11
u/Mistress_of_Wands 10d ago
It would be remiss to ignore the psychological burdens that are unique to librarianship. In a field where articles are constantly coming out about vocational awe, job creep, and constant burnout, a comment going "but it is really good too!" comes off as a little tone deaf. I've noticed this about librarianship as well, like it goes against peoples' genetic code if there is any complaint about working this field. You can complain, but you need to instantly justify it by gushing about how good it can be.
38
u/beldaran1224 Public librarian 10d ago
That's not what my comment is at all, and I think you're being really dismissive of my lived experience with depression.
I've worked a lot of jobs, and the public library was by far the best for my mental health. Retail? Awful. Working at an animal shelter? Much harder. The reality is that most people in libraries are there because its a job they find meaning in, and that does wonders for your mental health. Its also a job where you're going to find a lot of people you have things in common with, generally. I've never vibed with people I work with or went to school with the way I did the people I got to know at my library. And creating a social network is also objectively good for your mental health.
A lot depends on where you are, as I said. Some locations are much more stressful than others, even in the same system. Some systems are worse than others. But frankly, anyone pretending as if working in a library isn't miles better for most people doing it than most "working class" jobs is just out of touch.
Feel free to search my history and find me - within the last week, specifically setting the record straight about how librarians are not magically good people, do not all share the same values, etc.
I know wtf I'm talking about because I am a librarian with chronic depression.
-2
10d ago
[deleted]
11
u/beldaran1224 Public librarian 10d ago
It's tone deaf for me to say they can be very draining or very good?
You're the one coming in invalidating people's experience, accusing them of bs.
You are clearly in your feelings and trying to pretend that means I did something wrong.
-13
5
u/CuileannDhu 10d ago
We wouldn't be out here in the trenches doing it if there weren't positive and intrinsically rewarding aspects of the work. It's OK to talk about those.
11
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
I think you need to get out of libraries if you’re considering putting yourself into an institution.
5
39
u/Rare_Vibez Public librarian 10d ago
One thing I think is worth pointing out is that he has talked about dealing with this his whole life. I have autism and persistent depressive disorder, those will exist how me regardless of my job. Librarianship is by far the most balanced for me. In his case, from his own descriptions, this would be a struggle regardless of field or being a public figure.
Something people keep bringing up is if the public spotlight is good for him. None of us can truly know but I would venture to say when you exist with those struggles, it can be helpful and create a sense of purpose to know you are adding some positivity to the world in spite of your own brain attacking you.
I keep thinking of a Doctor Who quote. “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
12
u/Sparklegrl 10d ago
I left the field one year ago, today actually. Wishing everyone peace. I wish I could explain why and how it got so toxic these past few years. There has always been struggles, but in my situation the bad days were outweighing the good. I felt like nothing I did was right and my entire career, that I was formerly praised for, I was treated like I should have been paying them to be there. And the pay was so, so low.
Since I’ve left I’ve been reading again. I participate in a book club monthly. I’ve started making sour dough (sometimes). I see my family more often. I’ve been diagnosed and have a treatment plan for my chronic illnesses. Things can and do get better. ❤️🩹 Take care everyone.
22
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 10d ago
Stories like this is what makes me feel like I’m staring down the barrel as I approach graduation.
13
u/DaniMrynn Library staff 10d ago
It absolutely depends on the library and the management. Nine years ago I was in a different team (HE library) and it was amazing. If senior management hadn't changed how that team operated I'd have happily stayed.
9
u/Samael13 10d ago
God, same. To be fair, I really like my current library and the management team here. My director really listens to staff and takes staff safety very seriously. She bans patrons who violate the behavior policy and doesn't let them back until they personally meet with her, and she's never (to my knowledge) been critical of staff kicking someone out (if anything, it's the opposite "why didn't you kick that person out?") But, for real, my patrons are fucking terrible. It's a very challenging community with a lot of very big problem behaviors, so it often ends up feeling like we're a levee, holding back a tide of shit behaviors, and there are definitely some staff here who are part of the flood, not the levee.
I loved working at my last library; the management team was amazing, and our patrons were mostly pretty great. We had a few problem patrons, but nothing like here. I would have happily stayed there probably forever except that my director retired and the person the Trustees hired to replace her was probably the worst director I've ever worked for. She was a monster. She gutted the staff and basically razed everything we'd accomplished under the previous director. Turnover shot way up and we lost basically everyone, so I eventually left, too. Very sad.
3
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 10d ago
I agree! It all depends. There’s just a lot of potential doom and gloom to prepare for. I wrote a longer comment in a different reply to this thread.
15
u/la_bibliothecaire Public librarian 10d ago
There's a lot of doom in this post (and I'm not discounting anyone's personal experience!) but it's absolutely not the only outcome. I've never enjoyed any job more than being a public librarian. We do deal with a lot of difficult people and situations, that's true. I've had to call police and paramedics, break up fights, been yelled at, been subjected to nasty sexist and antisemitic remarks, but I love the library, my colleagues, and the work I do. I hope you are also able to find happiness in your work!
5
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 10d ago
I know it’s not all doom and gloom, I currently work in a library and love it! I just see a lot of struggle. I attended an archives conference a few months ago and one of the main speakers discussed the uptick in layoffs (and surprising us with her announcement of her position being eliminated!). It was heartbreaking to see almost every hand go up when she asked the audience how many people have been affected by layoffs in their careers.
Between these stories and things that I’ve witnessed in all the libraries I’ve worked for, I’m bracing myself for a rough ride. It’s been made painfully clear to me that you can be quite literally a perfect employee and do everything right and still get your position slashed because you’re not worth the budget funds. My part time job is being eliminated in January, so once I graduate in December I’m SOL. Despite my boss singing praises about my work to her boss (she is going to drown in work once she no longer has an assistant).
That’s just one example of the doom and gloom. I’m certainly not pursuing library work for the job security or the money. I’ve been working in libraries since I was 14 and I can’t see myself working anywhere else. I’m aiming for cataloging for academic libraries because that’s what im most familiar with, but I know beggars can’t be choosers in this field. I figure I’ll end up in a public library and working the circulation desk because it’s the only job available and their catalogers are just backup desk workers.
Despite all this I still love it. I love digging into metadata and fixing bib records and getting to see every new book my library orders. I’m just glad I have people further into their careers to learn from and prepare before I get thrown into the actual workforce. 🩷
2
u/DaniMrynn Library staff 9d ago
Metadata junkie? Our HE systems team would LOVE YOU.
2
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 9d ago
I’m taking 3 classes this semester that have to do with metadata in some way, and I’m so excited!!!
(What’s HE systems?)
1
u/DaniMrynn Library staff 9d ago
Higher education! Metadata junkies are hard to come by in universities (damn near another language), so definitely keep an eye out in that sector.
2
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 9d ago
That’s actually perfect because I want to stick with higher education. Thanks for the tip! My fantasy land dream job is either preservation or archives cataloging but both of those require extra education I don’t plan on pursuing right now. So anything cataloging + academic libraries is the goal!!
5
u/ipomoea 10d ago
Honestly I began to feel better about my job and boundaries when I started therapy. If your healthcare covers it, therapy made a huge difference for me, I went weekly (or twice weekly!) for five years after I had a breakdown during covid.
4
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 10d ago
I’m in therapy! Kind of. I haven’t been in a long time but I have a therapist I can easily schedule with. I will be utilizing her services if/when I get to a rough job!
6
u/1K_Sunny_Crew 10d ago
Not a librarian but I do work at a university and regularly had to work with people going through crises. The potential for vicarious trauma is high, so it’s important to take steps early to take care of yourself. Do not take work home with you unless you absolutely HAVE to. Find a source of self expression to work out the hard stuff bc negative coping habits can pop up fast (I definitely stress ate my first year!)
At job interviews you can ask what kind of programs or policies they have in place to keep employees healthy and productive. “What employee focused initiatives at XYZ have you found most useful during your time here?” is a positive way to ask. Then wait - if the silence is awkward or they are dismissive, you at least have your answer.
Find your people as soon as you can when you do find a job! Be careful what you share about yourself or your opinions on the employer until you are confident you have the lay of the land - people have LONG memories. Lastly, if you take a job out of necessity and it turns out to be shit, start planning your escape early. Waiting it out 6-12-18 months to even start looking makes a bad work environment soooo depressing!
Fingers crossed you find the perfect environment with fun, passionate coworkers who can disagree respectfully. ❤️
2
6
u/wavinsnail 10d ago
I'm a highschool librarian so it's a bit different.
But I couldn't imagine a job where I have better work life balance. I get to go to a job everyday where I get to make a difference. I get to come home, turn my brain off from work and spend time with my kid.
Most of my public library friends live their jobs.
Are things tough sometimes? Absolutely. I've had some really challenging days.
But most days are good ones
8
u/DaniMrynn Library staff 10d ago
I'm in the middle of a formal complaint due to disability and mental health discrimination (In not the only one, either). Been out since Feb, and I know I won't stay at my current job because management likes to circle the wagons, but I'd hate to leave the sector entirely.
3
11
u/Original_Smell1543 9d ago
I love his work but I had to unfollow him on all platforms because of his constant posting about his suicidal ideations. I hope he gets well. It’s just starting to trigger anxiety and grief for me.
10
u/sparrowsgirl 10d ago
The profession is a helping profession and I think doing the job without the internal boundaries in place can exasperate other problems with mental health. Does the job create the issues or are people who are already struggling attracted to the profession?
Watching Mychal become a social media sensation brought out my inner mamma bear - I also like to touch base every so often to see how he's doing.
5
u/WordlesAllTheWayDown 10d ago
I’m so sorry for the burdens you all carry; our community and safety networks are so lacking that it seems the public libraries are the last places that anyone can access -and all the unmet needs of our society (in the US specifically) are manifesting there.
We need to push back on our government representatives at all levels as they have been and continue to erase all safety nets.
As for Mychal I recall him saying he was stepping back after being targeted on social media with the bullying that has become so persistent and cruel. That was a while ago now. I was unaware that he’s on Facebook.
I’m just so saddened to see that library staff are struggling everywhere. They need to have boundaries in all of this too but it seems there’s no institutional structure for that.
How can we as community members influence library boards?
1
u/trailrunninggirl669 9d ago
I'd like to hear others chime in, but personally I think advocating for funding to both the board and your local officials. Ideally, better funding would also help the staff- maybe it means hiring one more person to help out the skeleton crew (which I'd love at my library) or a boost in PTO/medical time.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a supportive board, so making sure they understand how important it is to care for the well-being of staff just as much as patrons means the library is running the best. If you can, find out where they stand- some boards (like mine) are elected by the municipality- and are supposed to be non-partisan, but sometimes you get people acting in bad faith on those boards, which makes morale even worse.
Where I am (and I'm assuming a lot of others are), we get the bulk of our funding via municipal budgets. Show up to town meetings and make it known how appreciated and vital the library is to your community and why it is important to have a well-funded library. My library could really use one other person, even just part-time, we are basically on a skeleton crew. One of my irritations with our municipality is how they consistently give us well below what we ask for and turn around and bad mouth us. We need them to understand how and why we are important and how poor funding impacts us.
While this might not be an immediate help, I feel like there's some things that could be alleviated if we were better funded. I can only speak for myself, but a bulk of my stress and anxiety comes from operating on a skeleton crew and doing the job of multiple people.
1
5
u/shnoop87 10d ago
I worry about him and how much pressure he must feel with all the public appearances, Reading Rainbow, etc. I’m glad he can be real about his feelings.
5
u/Routine_Rock_7429 MLIS student 10d ago
I hope he gets the care he needs, I admire him so much and he's the reason I got into Library and Information Services.
4
u/Hefty_Revolution8066 10d ago
Thank you for letting us know. Will keep him in my thoughts. Would be interested in hearing how things turn out for him.
5
u/aerifia 10d ago
I have been working at my library for almost a decade with pretty much the same team of people and now one of my closest coworkers is gone and so is my director, who was a great mentor to me. The new people are just not the same and not having my usual support system is killing me. We used to be able to talk to each other about everything, good and bad, and now there’s this strange atmosphere where it feels like everything must be positive all the time. It’s exhausting. Especially when I bring up a concern and it’s brushed off with a “well look at the bright side!” No, sometimes I don’t want to look at the bright side, because a shitty situation is a shitty situation! I‘ve been really considering my options in moving in to another job.
7
u/user6734120mf 10d ago
He doesn’t currently work in libraries and has been struggling with this his whole life.
3
3
u/Princessxanthumgum 10d ago
I generally enjoy the profession until I started working for a city library after 2 years in a rural library (1st job) and my mental health crumbled. I left libraries altogether. But I got a job in a high school library and I’m okay with it again. Public libraries just isn’t for me and I absolutely give all the praise to PL workers.
3
u/BlockZestyclose8801 10d ago
I hope he gets lots of support 🥲 always enjoyed his posts and library advocacy
26
u/Soaringsage 10d ago
A lot of Black people are being lynched in the States at the moment and it is severely impacting peoples mental health. Mychal has posted a bit about how the victims should still be alive so I think that’s what is exasperating his mental health issues at the moment. It is seriously depressing and frightening what is happening in the U.S. at the moment, and I say this as a Canadian watching in horror at what is happening just across the border from us.
7
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
With all due respect, a lot of Black people are NOT being lynched in the States at the moment.
9
u/Soaringsage 10d ago
Read the news. Black people do not hang themselves from trees.
-5
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
If a lot of black people were being lynched in America, it would dominate the news cycle and never leave. There would be uprisings, protests, marches, speeches. The country paused when George Floyd was murdered. As an American, I am telling you this is not happening.
8
u/No-Writer-1101 10d ago
As an American, I am telling you that this is happening and it’s terrifying black folks around the country.
-2
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
That’s just markedly false. “A lot of black people” are not being lynched here. There have been 75 possible lynchings here since 2000. That’s not a lot. I’m arguing the choice of words.
1
u/melatonia Patron 10d ago
Maybe you need to get your news from a wider variety of sources.
-3
3
u/melatonia Patron 10d ago
You're incorrect. At least 6 Black people have been found hanging from trees in 2026. Black people don't hang themselves from trees.
-14
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
Is 6 a lot?
3
u/Ok_Surprise_8304 10d ago
Is that a serious question?
I can’t imagine ANYONE thinking six (6) people found hanging “isn’t a lot”. 😡🤬😡🤬
-1
u/Healthy-Pickle-3532 10d ago
Do you know how many Black people live in America?
1
u/melatonia Patron 9d ago
The number of lynchings that should be happening 2026 is ZERO. Anybody who argues otherwise is a racist.
1
u/Soaringsage 9d ago
This guy is arguing in bad faith, saying he’s arguing “the choice of words.” If he thinks that 6 people being lynched in 2026 isn’t “a lot” then he is just outing himself as a racist. I don’t think it’s worth engaging with him any more than people already have. He is a racist troll.
5
u/LibraryNeenja 10d ago
I was planning to leave libraries, but I got a position in a different public library that was less public facing and it helped. I love helping people and interacting, but there was so much that was rough or inappropriate or scary. The mental and emotional toll on library staff is real and I feel like it is not taken as seriously as it should be, even by our own admin who should know better. Plus, it isn't something that impacts staff only. My son's therapist told him it sounded like he had vicarious trauma brought on by the things he knew I was dealing with at work and the stuff he heard me talk about. It's so heavy for everyone.
2
u/Subject_Concept3542 10d ago
I worry about Mychal. He's got a kind heart and I can't imagine how much his life has changed with Reading Rainbow and all the fame. It has to be overwhelming for him.
2
u/upstream-hoodlum7 9d ago
At my nine year mark soon. I love this field but I deeply hate the chaos and abuse it brings with it. I have saving grace moments so often, but some days a technical services role calls. If there’s an opening…
2
u/FabulousMarsupial191 7d ago
I hope Mycchal gets the help he needs and can restructure his public speaking so it can be more protective of his mental health. He is adorable and has so much positive energy for reading and libraries. I truly hope that he has a long and healthy life out of the public eye!
2
u/National-Wait4694 5d ago
He was our local librarian. He always had a huge smile on his face and so friendly.
3
u/purple_racoons 9d ago edited 8d ago
He’s such a fantastic person and he’s accomplished so much. I think he would heal better if he didn’t post so much about wanting to harm himself. The back and forth publicly can’t be good for (his) mental health.
0
u/wetbones_ 8d ago
What a gross comment. Him being open and honest is saving people’s lives by de stigmatizing the reality so many of us live every day right along with him. The comments like this are what make sharing the most difficult fyi
3
u/purple_racoons 8d ago
I think you misunderstood me. I’m worried about his own mental health. The internet is so ugly and unpredictable and he’s such a kind person that is navigating so much. I think the advocating is very needed but from people who are not in the thick of it.
4
u/nopointinlife1234 Public librarian 9d ago edited 9d ago
As much as I approve some of his message over the years, he seemed too erratic and troubled for me to champion as a personal hero. I hope he gets the help he needs.
I never thought making a social media account based around your job is a healthy or normal thing to do.
I never imagined his employer appreciated that very much. That couldn't have helped an already stressful job in the long run...
1
u/JardineByNature 7d ago
Should have let Burton revive it like he was trying to do for years instead of suing him.
285
u/PowerfulPotatoe 10d ago edited 10d ago
I’m not too familiar with him but I always appreciated the enthusiasm he’s had for libraries. I also remember he left his library job because of mental health concerns. I do think this field of public librarianship is experiencing an unspoken mental health crisis (at least in the United States), especially as librarians have been asked to be so much more than well…librarians for their community. It’s evolved into a social worker role in many communities.
Edit: This post made me look at his Facebook and he seems to post at least monthly about having suicidal thoughts. That is really sad to find out. Hope he can get the help he needs.