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Libraries are no longer just keepers of stories; they are now part of the story themselves. For years, the library’s role was to collect, organize, and store information and materials, ready for patrons to come find what they need. Today, the library’s responsibilities have expanded beyond the shelves; they now include life experiences, community voices, and relationships that form when people interact within a shared space. This change in responsibilities means that library staff are asked to practice active listening, empathy, and the willingness to create a welcoming space for stories. 

The Human Library

An example of this change is The Human Library, where patrons “check out” a person “with a particular personal experience or perspective on life” instead of a book  (Wentz, 2013). These human books converse with other members of the community, or the “readers”. During this time, readers are able to ask questions, seek advice, and learn about other life perspectives. Aarne-Skidmore’s (2021) research on the Human Library model shows that participants exhibit an increase in empathy and reduced bias. StoryCorps, a nonprofit founded in 2003, partnered with public libraries to “record, preserve and share personal stories” (Eberhart, 2018). They also provide an app to make it easier for libraries and other groups to add voices and experiences from their own communities, and participants even have the option of uploading their recordings to the Library of Congress to archive. 

Although I have no experience with an “actual human library”, I have had the opportunity to talk to many different people in my library career. People came from many different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds than I, telling me their life story and lived experiences. Through these interactions, I’ve noticed that not only have I become more empathetic in my interactions with patrons, but also in my interactions outside of the library as well, with friends, family, and strangers.

Staying Relevant

Libraries are no longer just information storage, and patrons are no longer just consumers of stories. The patrons have become the stories themselves, and libraries have become a place for diverse populations to participate in unique programming. This counters the traditional perception of libraries being quiet reading places with lots of books (Paxaman, 2019). It is the power of free information, inclusiveness, and diversity that keeps public libraries relevant. 

New Possibilities

With the roles of libraries changing in order to stay relevant in times where its traditional roles are being challenged, more possibilities are opened in terms of reaching out to diverse communities with unique needs. This means actively seeking out voices that have been historically underrepresented, such as elders whose histories risk being lost, immigrants navigating a language barrier and new community, and anyone who has felt unheard in traditional spaces. Libraries are now being defined as the people they welcome and the possibilities they open through stories and the freedom of information. If they continue to head in this direction, they will remain as one of the few places where someone else’s story can change the way we perceive the world and each other.

References

Aarne-Skidmore, E. (2021). New study on the impact of the Human Library. Human Library Organization. https://humanlibrary.org/new-study-on-the-impact-of-the-human-library/

Eberhart, G. M. (2018). Sharing people’s stories: StoryCorps partners with public libraries. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/sharing-peoples-stories/

Paxaman, M. (2019). Challenged but not dying, the public libraries are more relevant than ever. Jutland Station.

Wentz, E. (2013). The Human Library: Sharing the community with itself. Public Libraries Online. http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/human_librar/