In the 1990s, education professor Rudine Sims Bishop introduced the now-famous model of “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” to highlight how stories shape children’s understanding of themselves and others. Librarians have since embraced this model for readers of all ages.
- Mirror books reflect readers’ own lives and identities back for them;
- Window books offer a view into the experiences of people unlike ourselves;
- Sliding glass door books offer a portal through with we can step into the lives and experiences of people unlike us.
For a charmingly illustrated version of this idea, check out Grant Snider’s illustrations!
I often use this model when helping patrons who are exploring what kind of work suits them. What better way to sample a whole menu of job options that to experience them through another's eyes?
In searching for books to serve as windows and sliding glass doors for Boston Public Library’s job seeking patrons, I found the following titles. I hope you’ll discover a bit of what you need in them, too!
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
Why to read it: This book is great for when you're having a hard time with life changes and career decisions. This book is a warm hug, full of community helping one another find what makes life worth living for them.
Why to read it: If you're craving a forbidden workplace romance from the perspective of an employee who lied her way into the job, this is the one for you. I can't recommend lying on your resume, but this one has a lot of catharsis with the happy ending.
Why to read it: This book reminds us that we can all find meaning and contribute, even without being a mythical chosen one. The unnamed protagonist gains magical powers and learns that being a superhero is just another job, one that it might be better to retire from early.
Why to read it: Schumacher captures the absurd banality of work while just trying to do your job around funding cuts. Told in a series of memos and letters of recommendation, this one hurts as much as it heals. This is especially good for recovering academics.
Why to read it: Another steamy workplace romance, this one enemies-to-lovers. Both main characters aim to be the best in their craft while also figuring out how to support each other without letting competition get in the way.
Why to read it: This is a quick read that makes you look hard at social expectations and the role work can play in our lives, both helpful and destructive.
Why to read it: This is a fun one because it shows that even in the most unlikely workplaces, we still run into the same interpersonal conflicts and banal absurdities familiar to all office workers.
Why read it: In a mash of Ikea + haunted house, Hendrix captures the uncanny horror of corporate work in a warehouse environment. If you've worked a service industry job and enjoy a nailbiter, this might be just the book for you.
Why read it: Even in a fantastical world, people need work that gives our lives meaning. In this story, we see how important it is to embrace time to reflect and consider what we need from work while also feeling the bittersweet loss that comes with making hard choices to pursue that calling.
There's No Such Thing as An Easy Job
Why read it: If you're struggling with burnout and wanting to search for the right job, this book might help put words to some of your feelings and help you think through what work means for you.
Why read it: Even when our workplaces are in space, the corporate oversight and interpersonal tensions are inescapable. If you're craving something satirically dystopic and deeply human, this is the one for you.
If you have other workplace books to share, just drop them in the comments! I can't wait to see what y'all recommend.
Add a comment to: Desk Jobs & Daydreams