Impact Of Collective Bargaining Agreements On The Experience Of Job Creep, Burnout, And Vocational Awe Among Public Library Staff

Public librarians are facing increasing expectations and worsening job conditions, setting the stage for job creep, burnout, and vocational awe. This paper explores how unionized public library environments and their collective bargaining agreements shape staffs; experiences with job creep, burnout, and vocational awe, and how this contrasts with experiences in North Carolina Public Libraries. Using qualitatively coded interviews, this paper connects lived experiences and staff reflections to common themes of current day library work and where collective bargaining agreements intervene. This research concluded that unions and CBAs function as an organizational barrier between the individual inclinations and motivations of staff and the institutional demands of public libraries in the present day.