The Human Library Connecting through story By Pamela Maher The books available for loan were unique, to say the least. During a two-day event this October at Acadia’s Vaughan Memorial Library and the Wolfville Memorial Public Library, anyone and everyone who dropped by was able to borrow a living “book”—a real, live person with a story to tell. The event was called the Human Library. Many Acadia students, staff and faculty, as well as numerous community members, participated as “books” and “readers.” The concept was adapted from the first Human Library initiated ten years ago by “Stop the Violence,” a youth organization in Copenhagen, Denmark. The idea is
challenging, but simple: sit down oneon-one with a person for 30 minutes and discuss their personal story. Some of the fascinating stories at Wolfville’s Human Library included: “75 Years as a Social Activist;” “Former Russian;” “10 Years of One Meal a Day: Growing Up in a Refugee Camp;” “Midwife, Osteopath and Queer Mom;” and, “My Life in Broadcasting;” by CBC Radio host Don Connolly. By the end of the event, many of our Living Books were exhausted, but most had had conversations unlike any they had experienced before. “I actually enjoyed sharing my experience with others, and seeing them enjoying my story was a great moment,” said one Living Book.
Our book “readers” felt equally inspired after hearing the Living Books’ stories. When asked about the most important part of her discussion with her Living Book, one participant said it was “just to know the strength of the human spirit and meet truly inspirational people.” Wolfville’s Human Library had 22 Living Books, who were borrowed over 90 times throughout the two-day event.
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