Meet Our Books
The Wollongong Living Books video and website really stuck with me in this module because this concept is EXACTLY what I love and picture the library to be; the library is a safe space for everyone and by utilizing a living library where “readers” can “check out” people, this environment creates empathy and understanding for others that may have differing lifestyles, opinions, politics, etc. than oneself. With the world, especially now, in such a vulnerable and polarizing political climate, innovative concepts like these where the focus is on lived human experiences brings a sense of humanity back to people who may be deemed as “other.” By giving individuals, especially marginalized people, a platform to speak their true, lived experiences, it is not only empowering for them, but also bridges an information gap for people who may not understand or have not interacted with folks from differing backgrounds. When I explored the “Meet our Books page on the City of Wollongong website, I was happy to see so many stories from people with differing backgrounds ( examples: a woman who experienced domestic violence and escaped to a woman who had to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat again because of suffering a stroke at 19).
“The living library is an excellent opportunity for people to engage in a conversation with someone that they may never have had an opportunity to meet, or someone that comes from a different community background. It is a great space for promoting contact between individuals and enabling people to challenge their own perceptions and stereotypes through conversation.”
–Leigh Dolan, Good Relations Unit, Belfast City Council
The two photos shown above are from a Living Library event that took place in Belfast, Ireland back in 2019 along with a quote from one of the participants. Below, I absolutely loved that younger people were interviewed in the YouTube video and took away new perspectives and respect for speakers they normally wouldn’t personally engage with.
References:
City of Wollongong. (n.d.). Wollongong living books. https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/my-community/events-and-programs/living-books
Community Relations Council. (2019). The living library where people are books. https://www.community-relations.org.uk/news-centre/living-library-where-people-are-books
El Segundo Media. (2022, May 4). Living library 2022. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKcLJBsHPy8
One Comment
Millicent
@claireburke I have never been to a human library, but it is now on my bucket list to find one that I can attend. The concept is just so cool. It is one thing to read about a culture, it is a whole other thing to actually meet someone that is a part of that culture and hear first-hand stories and experiences.