1. Exploring the experiences of academic library employees with long COVID in the United States and Canada.
- Author
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Folk, Amanda L.
- Subjects
- *
ACADEMIC librarians , *COVID-19 pandemic , *EMPLOYMENT , *JOB satisfaction - Abstract
Despite the prevalence of studies exploring the effects of COVID-19 on our profession, the prevalence of Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (i.e. Long COVID) and the experiences of employees suffering from Long COVID have not yet been explored in libraries of any type, including academic libraries. While many of us are now reflecting on what we learned during the pandemic and planning for the endemic period, the effects of Long COVID are still present globally. This article reports the findings of an exploratory study that seeks to address this significant gap in the literature through the administration of a voluntary online survey of academic library employees in the United States and Canada. The findings indicate that the participants experienced a wide range of symptoms, which affected their daily functioning at least a little bit. Fatigue, issues with memory and concentration (i.e. brain fog), and physical limitations were all salient to their workplace experiences, which often led to feelings of frustration and perceptions of reduced productivity. In general, the participants perceived many of their library colleagues being supportive of their Long COVID recovery; however, some did share negative and unsupportive experiences. Flexibility in completing work, as well as demonstrations of empathy and compassion, were identified as key supportive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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