Overcoming imposter syndrome: the adventures of two new instruction librarians | Emerald Insight Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access Advanced search Overcoming imposter syndrome: the adventures of two new instruction librarians Jessica Martinez (Library Department, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA) Meredith Forrey (Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, Washington, USA) Reference Services Review ISSN: 0090-7324 Publication date: 1 August 2019 Abstract Purpose New librarians rarely feel fully prepared for academic library instruction. This could be attributed to many factors in both Master of Library and Information Science programs and work environments. Imposter syndrome or imposter phenomenon is a common way this insecurity manifests. Imposter phenomenon, first defined in 1978, is an individual’s feeling that they will be exposed as a fraud, regardless of how qualified or knowledgeable they actually are. Throughout the first year as new instruction librarians, the authors tracked their experiences with instruction and the imposter phenomenon. This paper aims to illuminate how imposter phenomenon impacts library instruction, provide suggestions for individual librarians and identify what academic libraries can do institutionally to mitigate feelings of fraudulence among their employees. Design/methodology/approach This paper outlines the history and symptoms of imposter phenomenon, focusing on its presence in libraries. The authors draw on existing literature in psychology and library science, their own experience and a survey of 172 librarians. Suggestions for best practices for easing imposter phenomenon are then discussed based on the experiences of the authors and survey respondents. Findings This paper suggests several ways to ease the feelings of imposter phenomenon among those employed in academic libraries. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on the authors’ experiences, as well as a survey of 172 librarians. The survey was self-selecting, so the results may be skewed, but the themes apparent throughout the responses indicate that imposter phenomenon in libraries is pervasive and warrants further research. Practical implications The recommendations presented in this paper will provide new librarians and library administrators with concrete ways to identify and ameliorate imposter phenomenon among new instruction librarians. Originality/value Though imposter phenomenon has gained popular attention in wider society, extant research has not sufficiently addressed its role in the realm of academic library instruction. Given that most MLIS programs focus on theory rather than practice, finding ways to give new instruction librarians confidence in their positions is an area of research that warrants more exploration. Keywords Academic libraries Culture Career development Best practice Librarianship Instructors Citation Martinez, J. and Forrey, M. (2019), "Overcoming imposter syndrome: the adventures of two new instruction librarians", Reference Services Review, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 331-342. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-03-2019-0021 Download as .RIS Publisher : Emerald Publishing Limited Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited Please note you do not have access to teaching notes You may be able to access teaching notes by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account. Login If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team. Contact us To read the full version of this content please select one of the options below You may be able to access this content by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account. Login To rent this content from Deepdyve, please click the button. 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