Living Books for As a part of the ‘LiverBetterLife’ pilot project, aimed at increasing the uptake of hepatitis C treatment in rural and regional communities, peer educators from Hepatitis SA joined forces with the Murray Bridge Public Library to bring books alive on the 31st May 2017. Our Living Books project was inspired by the Human Library (or ‘Menneskebiblioteket’ as it is called in Danish), developed in Copenhagen in 2000 as a part of an arts festival. The Human Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers, who hear their stories and can ask questions about their lives. Difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.
Hepatitis SA provided five Living Books for loan, each with an unusual and engaging story to tell (see over). I was involved in this event as one of the ‘living books’. We all shared true tales of our extraordinary lives with ‘readers’ who ‘borrowed’ us. As the Living Book ‘Rebel Girl’, I was amused to receive my own barcode from Tim Law, the wonderfully enthusiastic Team Leader at the Murray Bridge Library. We each had our own unique barcode, as we were now a part of the Murray Bridge Library Catalogue. It was quite daunting, and I didn’t feel anything like the fearless rebel girl that I had once been, as I waited nervously, wondering if I would be borrowed.
Murray Bridge Library’s Tim Law (in orange) and the Living Books
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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 74 • August 2017
Torn between emotions of delight and nervousness, I was actually borrowed twice that day. Each time, I was taken to the counter by the borrower for my barcode to be scanned, as I was ‘checked out’ and ‘returned’ after finding a comfortable spot in one of the many reading nooks, for the borrower to listen to my story. All of the other Living Books were also borrowed by curious library members. We all agreed that the event was a great success, as each of our readers had provided us with wonderful feedback. The Liver Better Life project was based in Murray Bridge, South Australia and was funded by Hepatitis Australia. Lisa Carter