Le Moyne College’s Annual Human Library Event

Le Moyne College’s campus-wide Human Library event is our chance to start conversations that matter.

On Friday, November 2nd, the Le Moyne College Noreen Reale Falcone Library will be hosting our annual Human Library Event. An event in which people from all walks of life, each with different stories to tell, come together in a safe and open environment to share their unique life experiences and participate in a dialogue about those experiences.

In partaking in this open and honest discourse, we can work to promote diversity and equity as well as challenge misconceptions and assumptions. This event brings us all together in order to learn about one another.

A quote from those in attendance at the very first Human Library event held in Denmark in 2000: “Talks were going on intensively, the feeling of something special in the air. The policeman talking with the graffiti writer, the politicians having discussions with the youth activist, and the football fan in deep chat with the feminist. It was a win-win situation and has been ever since.” –humanlibrary.org

Everyone is Welcome to Attend!

Everyone from the community is invited to join us for this event. You can check-out any Human Books which you might like to hear from either on the spot during the event or reserve a check-out period in advance!

Check-out periods consist of a 20-30-minute chat with your Human Book during which you can ask them questions and learn from their experiences.

What is a Human Book?

In a Human Library, people become the book!

Human Books are Le Moyne community members who volunteer to share their unique life experiences, trials, lessons, and viewpoints.

During this event, you can “check out” human books for 20-30 minutes at a time for one-on-one conversations during which you can ask questions and learn from their experiences. This is a dialogue from which everyone can benefit.

We Are Looking for Human Books!

Do you have a unique life experience you would like to share or a unique perspective the community would benefit from hearing? Are you a member of a group often stereotyped or misappropriated? Would you like to be a part of this incredible chance for an open dialogue? Amazing!

We are looking for faculty, staff, and students to serve as Human Books at our event on November 2nd.  

In order to apply to be a Human Book please visit our website http://resources.library.lemoyne.edu/library, click on the Research Guides tab, then click on the Subject Guides tab, followed by the tab labeled All Subject Guides and use the search bar to search for “Human Library.”

On the Volunteer page, you will find our Google Doc. form for you to apply. Just fill out and submit the form by September 30TH!

We will get in touch with you shortly after the deadline should you be selected to participate.

We thank you so much for volunteering your unique story to better our event and our Le Moyne community!

 

Where Did the Tradition of Human Libraries Begin?

The very first Human Library event was held in Denmark by a group called “Stop the Violence.” The group and event were started by a young group of students, as a reaction to one of their friends being stabbed.

Though their friend survived the attack, these students felt emboldened to take action against ignorance and violence.

The Human Library, originally called a “Living Library”, was held in 2000 in order to create a free opportunity for people to talk honestly with one another.

The purpose was to break down barriers between people and groups often misunderstood and to create an open environment for people to ask honest and sometimes difficult questions.

Human Libraries are now held at a variety of libraries, educational institutions, and festivals around the world.

If you have any questions regarding this eye-opening and barrier-breaking event or would like more information, please feel free to visit our Human Library LibGuides page or email Kari Zhe-Heimerman at [email protected], Phoebe DiSalvo-Harms at [email protected], or Emily Adydan at [email protected].

We hope that everyone from the Le Moyne community will consider attending or participating in this important and ground-breaking event!