How can community-engaged research strengthen sector responses to complex workplace challenges? The Emotions Matter study offers one example—bringing together McMaster researchers and public library leaders to address emotional labour in libraries across Canada.
A cross-sector research partnership brought national attention to an often-unseen dimension of public library work—emotional labour—at this year’s Ontario Library Association Conference.
The session, The Hidden Work of Caring: Emotional Labour in Public Libraries, showcased findings from Phase 2 of the Emotions Matter study, a collaborative initiative examining how frontline library staff manage the emotional demands of their roles—and what that means for occupational wellbeing.
The research is led by Dr. Diana Singh, Principal Investigator and Executive Director of ARMS (McMaster’s Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society). Her work focuses on the intersection of mental health, workplace wellbeing, and community-engaged research. During the presentation, Dr. Singh emphasized that emotional labour in public libraries is not simply an individual responsibility, but a systemic workplace reality requiring evidence-informed organizational responses.
The project was strengthened by the leadership of Lita Barrie, CEO of Burlington Public Library, and Paul Takala, Chief Librarian and CEO of Hamilton Public Library. Along with the project’s advisory group, Barrie and Takala helped ensure the research remained grounded in the realities of public library work and aligned with sector priorities.
The study engaged 17 public library systems across Canada, with 951 staff completing the national survey. Findings highlight both the meaningful connections staff experience in their work and the emotional regulation required to meet organizational expectations of positivity, composure, and care.
A defining feature of the project is its community-engaged research approach. Developed in partnership with public library leaders and supported by McMaster’s Community Research Platform, the research was conducted with libraries rather than on them. This collaborative model ensured that library worker experiences shaped the research questions, interpretation, and next steps.
Importantly, the findings are already informing practical tools and training initiatives aimed at supporting emotional resilience within public library systems.
The strong attendance and engagement at OLA reflect growing recognition that emotional labour is central to public library work—and that collaborative research partnerships can help translate insight into action.
To read the full report, Emotional Resilience in Libraries: Tools for the Modern Workplace visit:
https://arms.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2026/02/Emotions-Matter-Report-2_FinalV.pdf
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