Everyone loves a freebie. Everyone loves a present.
Academics are no different. But most of them prefer a very specific freebie: books!
So, if you are a senior and/or well-resourced academic, why not make a difference this week by being a book fairy? There are at least three ways you can be a book fairy.
Clearing out your office
We all accumulate lots of books but many of them go unread or unused. Why not do a clear-out and leave the ones you no longer need outside your office? Or better still display them in our office and invite your colleagues to come and have a browse. That way you can have a chat with them at the same time.
Ask to be paid in books by publishers (or universities)
Many senior academics are asked to review book proposals for publishers. The (symbolic) payment can usually be doubled when you choose to be paid in books. Why not ask your junior colleagues what books they would like? Anne-Wil has been able to accommodate a few dozen requests this way.
Doing a paid guest lecture or a PhD examination? Ask whether you can get your honorarium in books [in the UK, this also avoids having to fill out many tedious forms to prove your “right to work”]. Anne-Wil has been able to finance a few dozen of the “How to get published in the best management journals” guide this way [3rd edition is coming out imminently].
Buy a career development book for your junior colleague or PhD student
If you want to “kill two birds with one stone” [or flies or rabbits or pigeons or hares, for a very interesting map of country differences see https://jakubmarian.com/kill-two-birds-with-one-stone-in-european-languages/] why not buy a book that helps your colleague or PhD student in their career development?
There are plenty of helpful guides for under 10 pounds/dollars/euros. Anne-Wil even wrote five herself: https://harzing.com/resources/working-in-academia/book-series-crafting-your-career-in-ac
Any other ideas?…
… to help your junior colleagues with little freebies? Any favourite career development books?
Please let us hear your ideas and thoughts by replying to this post!
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christa Sathish.