Feminist Librarianship - Interviews on Imposter Syndrome

Feminist Librarianship - Notes on Imposter SyndromeThis podcast episode accompanies chapter 17, Notes from a New Professional II: Interviews on Imposter Syndrome, from the book Feminist Librarianship, written and produced by Leah Higgins. The chapter shines a light on the perspectives and experiences of seven women working in the library and information sector (or adjacent) fields, and how they have experienced and navigated the conversations around imposter syndrome. For a sector that is majority female, it seems implausible that so many of us consistently experience those negative self thoughts, projective oppressions and systemic biases that are labelled as ‘imposter syndrome’ a term which some feel ‘medicalises women’s normal feelings.’ Many threads are examined within this chapter including the systems at play attempting to keep women in a passive and overlooked state, one in which inequalities are deepened by intersectional factors such as education, class, race, sexuality, neurodiversity and more. Librarians as professionals exist to support communities and serve requests, and in addition to this scope can be very niche subject specialists - this chapter examines some of the features of this sector that exploit or lessen the impacts of imposter syndrome through the voices of women who have actually lived it. Is it something that you can grow out of or beat using extra qualifications or working harder? Are new professionals or the National Librarian of Scotland immune to these feelings? There are no right or wrong answers in this discussion, only lived experiences and perspectives that have been woven together to provide support, relief and methods to overcome these challenges. With thanks to the podcast contributors Chaeli Brown, Jennifer Findlay, SarahLouise McDonald, Gill Ryan, Amina Shah. About Feminist LibrarianshipBuy your copy here: https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/feminist-librarianship/?k=9781783308033Women constitute 75% of library and information workers and yet their achievements and contributions to the LIS sector are often unspoken, overlooked and undervalued in every sense.This agenda setting book - the first of its kind in the UK - combines case studies from libraries of all sectors to illuminate the feminism-infused principles and practices that shape the profession. With powerful, thought-provoking contributions from more than twenty feminist thought leaders and librarians, the book articulates the strong link between libraries and female empowerment, evidencing the case that investment in libraries is an investment in women. At once a reappraisal of the centrality of women within libraries and a call to arms for their acknowledgement, this is an urgent, inspiring and essential book for all LIS professionals.Articles and resources mentioned in the episodeA Side Effect of Becoming by Plain View.Burey, J. and Tulshyan, R. (2021) For Many Women, Feeling Like an Outsider Isn’t an Illusion – It’s the Result of Systemic Bias and Exclusion, Harvard Business Review, 11 February, https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome.Hazelwood, J. (2023) Here’s Why We Must Stop Telling Black Women They Have ‘Imposter Syndrome’, Her Agenda, 5 June, https://heragenda.com/p/imposter-syndrome-among-black-women-professionals.Lewis, O. (2023) Women More Likely to Suffer from Imposter Syndrome than Men, According to Research, Independent, 7 April, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-imposter-syndrome-workplace-confidence-b2313770.html.Clance, P. R. and Imes, S. A. (1978) The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15 (3), 241–7.Dunn, S. (2025) Imposter Syndrome Isn’t a Personal Flaw. It’s a Systemic Issue, Time, 25 February,https://time.com/7261073/imposter-syndrome-systemic-issue-essay.Music by Tunetank from Pixabay.