The Real Emotional Problem Is not..,
It is incredibly common to hear this exact sentiment across the profession: the burnout doesn’t come from the books, the cataloging, or the information science. It comes from the staggering, unquantifiable weight of the emotional labor.
Libraries are increasingly treated as the final safety net for society’s systemic gaps, which leads to exactly what you described—severe scope creep. You are hired as a librarian, but you are effectively working as a social worker, a tech support specialist, an impromptu therapist, an event coordinator, and a public advocate.