Public libraries have always been about more than books. They provide learning, connection, and support, often for people who have few other places to turn.
But the role, and our expectations of it, are changing.
As government, banking, and other services move online and close service locations, library employees are increasingly required to help people navigate digital systems and access essential services. They are also being called upon to respond to growing social vulnerability and increasingly complex community needs.
The library counter is no longer simply a customer-service point. Increasingly, it is becoming a front line where many of the challenges experienced across our broader communities are playing out.
Early findings from Australia’s first comprehensive national study of workplace violence and aggression in public and academic libraries reveal the scale of the challenge.
Led by Associate Professor Jane Garner of Charles Sturt University, the study was commissioned by three peak library bodies. The findings, released in May 2026, drew on responses from 1,182 front line library employees.
Among public library employees, 90% reported experiencing or witnessing violence or aggression at work. Across all library employees surveyed:
These are not isolated incidents. They point to a broader workforce challenge – the expectations placed on library employees may be changing faster than the roles, systems, and support around them can keep pace.
Tingwall wanted to see whether our recent local government research reflected these broader findings. We reviewed employee data from 13 council studies conducted between 2023 and 2026.
One finding is particularly consistent: library employees commonly demonstrate a strong commitment to customers and community purpose. Their experience of the organisation supporting that work, however, varies considerably between library services, and sometimes even between library branches within the organisation.
Some library teams report strong engagement, connection with the rest of the organisation, leadership, and organisational support. Others report experiencing greater pressure around staffing, safety, systems, strategic direction, communication, and the implementation of change. This variation shows that the pressures of library work do not necessarily lead to poorer employee experience. The way an organisation supports its employees can make a real difference.
Across Tingwall’s research, some strengths are consistent, while experiences of organisational support vary:
Commitment to customers
Community purpose
Relationships with colleagues
Willingness to go above and beyond
Staffing and resources
Safety and well-being support
Systems and processes
Leadership, consultation, and direction
The first column reflects strengths commonly found across Tingwall’s library research. The second identifies aspects of the organisational environment where employees’ experiences vary, sometimes considerably, from one library service or branch to another.
In one recent Tingwall council study, employees’ willingness to go above and beyond remained steady even as job satisfaction, intention to stay, and willingness to recommend the organisation fell substantially. By contrast, library teams in some of the other council studies reviewed by Tingwall achieved strong engagement, sometimes well above the results for their wider councils.
Together, these findings carry an important message. Employee commitment can protect the customer experience for a time, but it cannot replace adequate organisational support. The right leadership, staffing, systems, and workplace support can create a more positive and sustainable employee experience.
Training library employees to de-escalate difficult situations and respond appropriately to vulnerable people is important. But continually adding new capabilities to the library role cannot be the only organisational response.
Councils should also consider whether employees have:
Some libraries are introducing social workers or developing partnerships with specialist services. A 2023 international review led by Charles Sturt University researchers examined 16 studies of social work in public libraries. It found that library-based social work can provide direct assistance to visitors while supporting library employees through professional development and specialist expertise. It also highlighted the importance of clear role boundaries, effective collaboration, and sustainable service models.
The point is not that every library requires the same solution. Tingwall’s research shows that local leadership, workforce design, staffing, systems, and operating practices can intensify these pressures, or help ease them.
The starting question is not simply:
Are our library employees resilient enough to manage these situations?
A better question is:
Has our organisation kept pace with the changing demands of library work?
That shifts the focus from individual coping to organisational design – from asking employees to absorb growing demands to examining the roles, systems, support, and partnerships around them.
If this article resonates, please share it with your colleagues. To discuss what your employee results may reveal, contact our Tingwall experts at info@tingwall.com.au.
Garner, J. (2026, May 29). Early Findings from the National Research Project on Workplace Violence and Aggression in Australian Libraries [PDF]. Deakin, ACT: Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/Early%20Findings%20from%20the%20National%20Research%20Project%20on%20Workplace%20Violence%20and%20Aggression%20in%20Australian%20Libraries.pdf
Shephard, M., Garner, J., Bell, K., & Wardle, S. (2023). Social work in public libraries: An international scoping review. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 72(4), 340–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2255940
