2. Are there any do's and don'ts for video meetings? What do you need to pay attention to when making work-related video calls?
Watch the video: Zoom Bookshelf
3. What was your reaction? Were you already aware of the bookshelf as a marker of social status? Have you seen the debate on social media about bookshelves as backgrounds?
4. "There's nothing wrong with projecting an air of prestige and expertise." Do you agree with this statement?
5. Should books only appear on your bookshelf if you have read them? Are there any risks in having books on your shelf that you haven't read? The Japanese have something called 'tsundoku ', which is buying books which don't get read, but always with the intention of reading them. Does having the intention of reading them make curated bookshelves OK?
6. If you were curating your own bookshelf, what genres, titles, and authors would you include? Why? Would you consider renting/borrowing books to create a positive image?
7. You have an online job interview for a position in your industry - what books would you have on your shelf to impress the interviewer?
...........
Situation
You have received a memo from head office: all employees should have curated bookshelves behind them for all online meetings with clients. Head office want you to inform all employees of the changes, and to mentor them on book selection. Your teacher is your first colleague to be mentored.
...........
Discuss comments taken from social media:
a) "From Pulitzer prize to home decor. How sad."
b) "Anyone with a book background should have to be prepared for a question on any of their books on display. I obviously haven't read every book I own, but can tell you why I bought it or something about the author or subject."
c) "This is an intellectual breast enlargement."
d) "I spent 25 years as a librarian and find the idea of books as decoration offensive."
e) "Don’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a professor by the bookshelf in their office.I try to always visit my profs’ office hours during the first week of classes first to introduce myself but also to take a good look at that bookshelf. It’s a full display of their personality, intellectual curiosities, values, and aesthetic preferences. My all time favourite prof had a dog bowl near her desk, a collection of dime store horror paperbacks, and a mini fridge full of ginger beer. I knew she would be a perfect mentor the moment I stepped into her office."
f) "Nobody reads a book twice. Most people didn't even read the books they bought. As the video says, it's just a status symbol to show they are intellectual. The funny thing is, this behaviour is extremely dumb."
Student Handout PDF: Zoom Bookshelf
Photo: August de Richelieu
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