Academic library leaders often occupy a “middle” position—caught between senior campus administrators and the employees they supervise. In this role, leaders may be perceived as having substantial authority, yet they frequently have limited decision-making power and must implement directives with which they may not agree. As part of their middle positionality, some library leaders describe themselves as an “umbrella” or “filter,” withholding or shaping information to protect employees from uncertainty or negativity. While often motivated by care and a desire to shield others, filtering can result in emotional labor for leaders and unintended consequences for teams. Drawing from qualitative interviews with current and former academic library administrators, this session explores how middle positionality pressures leaders to think critically about how information is shared, what impact it may have on themselves and their team, and how to balance the demands of others. Interview participants share how this middle positionality increased their emotional labor and chronic stress, contributing to burnout and attrition. Participants will learn about the tension that comes with middle positionality and explore how to balance protection and transparency, while recognizing how filtering impacts emotional well-being.
