Guidance for managers

How can you support your staff to work safely with distressing collections?

• Read the box list or interim cataloguing description before assigning a collection for cataloguing. Forewarn staff about the contents.

• Direct them to the Gitbook Staff Welfare and Safeguarding pages.

• Ask them about using an 'Emotions First Aid Kit' for working with collections.

• Keep an open dialogue and regularly check in with staff to see how a collection or particular project may be impacting them.

• Plan with your staff, not for them. Different things help different people. If they're using an Emotions First Aid Kit, let your staff lead their way. If they need help, make it collaborative.

• Share your knowledge. Your experience of working with collections may provide help and education. Additionally, you may have noticed your staff work better in certain environments or situations. Is there a way you can create these environments for your staff to work on this particular collection or project?

• Source and undertake training both for you and your staff (see the Resources and Training link for more information)

• Discourage staff from doing any work on the collection from home

• Encourage group work or group discussion where possible

• Familiarise yourself with the side effects. You may be able to spot these in your staff before they do

• Advocate for your staff to work without a deadline. If a deadline is needed or can't be changed, how can you build more flexibility and variation into their work? If it's not possible to move the deadline, can you reduce their exposure to the collection? Is it possible to change solo work to group work?

• Never allow your staff to work on distressing material 24/7.

• Allow time and space for your staff to tell you about any distressing material they've been working on. This can be done individually or in a group.

• Let your staff know and empower them to say 'no'. Make sure they understand what happens if they do.

• Make sure there is a 'tangible payoff' at the end. This could be outreach work where they see the work they've done have a real life impact. It could be having access to usage data after the collection they've catalogued has been made accessible to the public. Find out from your staff what a tangible payoff would look like to them.

• Empower your staff to work on difficult collections and make sure they know it's possible to do this without experiencing harm.