Jo Wood discusses her career in libraries, struggles with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, and how creating the "Librarians with Lives" podcast has helped her professionally and personally by building connections with others and giving her focus. The podcast has provided a supportive space for librarians at all stages of their careers to reflect on experiences and has helped many listeners with career decisions and growth.

1. Librarians with Lives
Jo Wood @JoWood04 @libswithlives

2. An innovative way to build networks and promote
resilience
• My career
• Health and resilience
• Hitting the brick wall
• What did I do to get better?
• Where does Librarians with Lives fit in?
• How has Librarians with Lives helped me? How has it helped
others?
• My current state of mind
• Learning points
• Contact details; links

3. My career so far…
Career
Library and Information Service Manager – Children and Family Court Advisory and
Support Service (Cafcass) (2009 – present)
Library and Information Service Officer – Barnardo’s-Cafcass (2006-2009)
Senior Library Assistant – National Maritime Museum (2005-2006)
Library Assistant – National Maritime Museum (2004-2005)
Graduate Trainee Library Assistant – Oxford Union Society (2003-2004)
Bookseller (part-time) – Blackwell’s (2000-2003)

4. Career Qualifications
LIS Manager CILIP Fellowship (2017 – ongoing)
CILIP Chartership Revalidation (2016, 2017 & 2018)
PgDip Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology (distance learning)
(2014-2016)
Psychology conversion course (distance learning) (2013-2014)
LIS Officer CILIP Chartership (2007-2008)
Senior Library Assistant PgDip Information and Library Studies (distance learning) (2004-
2006)Library Assistant
Graduate Trainee Library
Assistant
Bookseller Modern History MA (2001-2002)
History BA (1998-2001)
Qualifications

5. Career Qualifications Life Events
LIS Manager (Created
Cafcass LIS from scratch)
Fellowship (ongoing)
Revalidation x3
Sport & Exercise Psychology
PgDip
Psychology conversion course
Stress-related anxiety (2018)
Doing the conference circuit (2018 – ongoing)
Librarians with Lives Podcast (2017 – ongoing)
Research in Practice award (2017)
Stress-related anxiety & depression (2016)
Bereavement (2015)
Assault (2014)
Running, marathons, etc. (2013 – ongoing)
Bereavement (2009)
Stress-related anxiety & depression (2008-2012)
LIS Officer Chartership Redundancy (2008)
Twins (2007)
Senior Lib. Asst.
ILS qualification
Lib. Asst. Marriage (2004)
Grad Trainee Lib. Asst. Left after 7 months; NMM funded my library course
Bookseller Degree & Masters Redundancy (2003)
Life Events

6. Health and Resilience
“The thing about you,
Jo, is that you’re so
resilient”
Relational load – wear and tear
of continual emotional distress
and depletion of psychological
and relational resources. Afifi,
Merrill & David (2016)
https://themighty.com/2016/06/
living-with-high-functioning-and-
hidden-anxiety/
Displaying extreme
resilience and high
achievement as a
coping mechanism

7. Hitting the brick wall (aka 2016)
A series of unfortunate
events
CRASH!
My brain shut down

8. Brain full of fog
Struggled to interact
Panic attacks
Forgetful
Couldn’t make decisions
Couldn’t do my job
Fell asleep during difficult conversations
My office became overwhelming
My commute became frightening
Panicky in crowds
Couldn’t watch TV
Couldn’t read text longer than a page
Couldn’t write
Short-term memory disappeared
Couldn’t concentrate
Couldn’t watch films
Just before the crash After the crash

9. What did I do?
Employer support Therapy (via EAP)
Soft strategies Support network

10. Where does Librarians with Lives fit in?
CILIP Conference 2017
I was professionally isolated –
this impacted negatively on my
mental health
Career stories
“How difficult
would it be to
create my own
podcast?”

11. Librarians with Lives becomes a thing…
Since I launched Librarians with Lives in
September 2017:
• 39 Episodes released (including a
Christmas special and a side-special on
librarians who run)
• Listeners in 50+ countries worldwide
• Participants and listeners across the
spectrum of sectors and at all stages of
their careers
• More than 13,000 plays (this is a baseline
as people listen via a variety of methods)
• Developed a networking workshop with
Mike Jones (Episode 18)
• Librarians with Lives – LIVE! At #CilipConf18
and #ILI2018
• Found a Fellowship mentor
• Gained two Chartership mentees
• #Libraruns running movement
• #LwL Alumni (previous guests) have
connected with each other and shared
ideas via the podcast

12. How has Librarians with Lives helped me?
I’m more confident at work
I’ve started telling people that I’m
a librarian again
I’ve met brilliant people and had
some amazing opportunities
I’m able to tell people about
my mental health and the
impact it has on my life
It gives me a focus and
reminds when things get
tough that I’m good at
something

13. How has Librarians with Lives helped others?
“LwL has helped me to grow in
confidence and helped me to
recognise my skills and realise that I
do have a voice, and a voice to be
heard.” Katherine (Episode 7)
“It gave me space and structure to
reflect on what I’ve learned and
achieved so far, which has in turn
become useful when updating my CV
and understanding my
strengths/things to develop on”
Rhiannon (Episode 20)
“My boss recently interviewed for the
new trainee positions and apparently
someone talked about the graduate
trainee episode during their interview!”
Elle (Episode 20)
“It made me reflect on my career and
introduced me to lots of (lovely) new
people and perspectives.” Mike E
(Episode 4)
“I’m very grateful for the work you and
the participants have done. I wish
they’d been around when I was looking
at becoming a librarian – it would have
made me jump in sooner” Gemma
(listener)
“I listened while applying to grad
traineeships and they were *so*
helpful in deciding whether I’d enjoy
life as a librarian” Francesca (listener)
“…doing my interview for LwL
genuinely gave me something
back…being a worthwhile
person…and has sparked a whole
career path 2.0 for me” Natasha
(Episode 34)
“I used to work at London Zoo Library
and, after hearing their episode, I
arranged to go back and visit, 30+
years later!” Paul (forthcoming)

14. Troubling dreams – the
subconscious strikes back!
A build-up of small bad events in
quick succession
Teeth grinding
My current state of mind (AKA I thought I was fine…)

15. Learning Points
Bad
I’m coming to terms with the fact that I will never be
completely ‘better’.
When you know the dark places that your mind can go to,
you don’t forget and you’re never quite the same.
I need to develop better coping mechanisms to deal with
dissenting voices
I know what the red flags are…
Good
I really value my support networks, at work and at home,
in person and virtually.
I still have something of value to add to my job and to the
wider information profession.
I’m learning to value myself for more than my brain and
allowing space to just ‘be’.
…. but I also know my protective factors.

16. Contacts & Links
@LibsWithLives@JoWood04
librarianswithlives@gmail.com
Librarians with Lives:
Soundcloud, Acast &
iTunes