Libraries play a super important role in keeping and sharing knowledge. The ways in which knowledge is shared greatly impacts how communities bond and interact with one another. The Human Library, as Wentz (2013) highlights, is a great example of how powerful storytelling can be. This practice allows for individuals from all walks of life to connect with each other and challenge any stereotypes by engaging in safe and friendly conversations in welcoming places. Creating opportunities for connection in a more human-focused way, valuing conversation and understanding, can open up more opportunities to fight prejudices within the community and beyond. Libraries have a duty to connect with their communities as well as fostering interactions between community members. The findings from Arne-Skidmore (2021) explain that storytelling is such an important and impactful tool both in terms of entertainment but also in helping people connect with one another in order to see the world around them from multiple perspectives. In an academic library, for example, having community-based events where students from many backgrounds and majors come together can begin to break down barriers between various student groups. When I was an undergraduate student, it was pretty isolating to only be within my own discipline (child development), so I ended up branching out for my extracurriculars in the form of joining my college’s student-run radio station. Becoming an on-air DJ allowed for me to meet so many new people I would have never interacted with otherwise, especially since the station was open to students of all majors!
Academic libraries have a great chance to utilize events, programs, or even social media and campus collaboration to bring the student body together just by being a central area of campus lots of students use. However, academic libraries often have a tough time bringing this kind of engaging, community-focused approach into what they do. They tend to be seen mainly as places for research support, focusing on typical resources such as databases, study spaces, and circulation numbers. Because of this, they might miss out on creating a warm and welcoming environment that can support the social and emotional needs of students and staff. Given their central role on campus, academic libraries have a fantastic opportunity to shift their focus from just storing knowledge to becoming vital hubs for connection and community.
To build better connections on campus, academic libraries have many avenues that can be explored. One great idea is to adopt a “Human Library” approach, where students, faculty, and staff can share their unique experiences and backgrounds. Imagine having a veteran student discuss their transition to college life, or a first-generation college student share their experiences with imposter syndrome. Staff or staff with student workers could team up with departments like English or History to run classes where students interview retiring professors or long-time staff, creating a living archive of our campus’s history. This effort not only keeps memories alive but also gives future researchers access to unique, human stories. By focusing on spaces, expert staff, and programs that emphasize sharing, empathy, and storytelling, the library can really become a central hub where diverse campus communities come together, not just to consume information, but to share their experiences and build a more connected, supportive environment.
References
Arne-Skidmore, E. (2021). New study on the impact of the human library . The Human Library Organization. https://humanlibrary.org/new-study-on-the-impact-of-the-human-library/
Wentz, E. (2013). The human library: Sharing the community with itself – public libraries online. Public Libraries Online – A Publication of the Public Library Association. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/human_librar/
2 Comments
November 13, 2025 at 12:05 am
Hi Meg,
I agree that libraries play an important role in sharing and keeping knowledge for everybody. When libraries host programs, it brings people from different backgrounds in one room and for a moment, what each person’s job, socioeconomic status, political and religious beliefs becomes completely irrelevant. Patrons (crafters) will often share stories about their personal life or experiences to others without the fear of being judged.
November 16, 2025 at 11:17 am
I really liked how you explained storytelling as a way for people to connect and “challenge any stereotypes” through simple conversation. The way you described the Human Library as a welcoming place where people open up to differences really stood out to me. I also loved your story about becoming an on air DJ and how branching out from your major helped you meet people you would have never interacted with otherwise. It made me think about how libraries can be that same kind of space where students come together to either share experiences and also to branch out from their normal routine/conversations.