Rose Hackman’s Letter to Librarians

In EMOTIONAL LABOR, Rose Hackman has written an urgent and timely book exploring the particular expectations and inequities women face in work and everyday life.

Touching on the importance found in this call-to-action, Rose has written a letter to librarians with even more on her research and reasoning behind writing EMOTIONAL LABOR.

“This is an inspiring, infuriating study of the toll it takes on people when they’re expected to smile, while taking on more and exhausting responsibilities without getting paid more. This is a call to action for individuals and the organizations that sustain these practices.”–Library Journal, starred review

EMOTIONAL LABOR: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power by Rose Hackman | 9781250777355 | 3/28/23

Available for download on Edelweiss

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Dear valued librarian,

I hope you will consider taking the time to read my book, EMOTIONAL LABOR, which is the result of seven years of reflection and writing, hundreds of research papers and books read across dozens of disciplines, and hundreds of interviews.

As I researched this book, I was reliant on the resource of my own public library in Detroit, which has stayed open and committed to the community through incredible adversity. I am keenly aware that keeping such institutions running are people – librarians like you – who provide so much necessary labor, including emotional labor, that is often invisible to most.

I wrote this book with the purpose of shining a bright light on the invisible work that keeps our communities and world running – work like the work that you do daily. The aim is not just to make it visible but make it far more valued across the board.

I hope you will find some validation or pieces of insight in the text. Regardless, I remain deeply grateful for your work.

Warmest wishes,
Rose