One of the worlds most diverse neighbourhoods is about to get its own Human Library Book Depot. Full of people that volunteered to answer difficult questions and booming with the energy that has made the city more than famous. That is what we are creating in Brooklyn and you can be part of it.

A book depot

A Human Library Book Depot is a collection of volunter books and librarians, spearheaded by a book depot manager, that organise and host Human Library events at schools, colleges, universities, festivals and work places.

The depot is a local chapter of the Human Library and operates as a community service to help increase the volume of events and create more safe spaces for dialogue, while using less ressources. You can say we republish our books and continously add on to the collection to ensure that we always have a diverse content to offer our readers. Book depots are in operation in some countries, while the Human Library is available in more than 80.

Who can be published?

Human Library tag cloud with examples of topics.

We are looking for people that have personal experience with stigma and negative stereotypes. People that have disabilities, people that have a minority background, people that have experienced mental health challenges and people with a lifestyle that has raised eyebrows, to name but a few. We are also looking for people that escaped conflict and others that have overcome hardship due to their ethnicity, background, gender and much more.

The Human Library methodology is based on our 12 pillars of prejudice. All of our literature belongs in one of the pillars. The pillar on religion would contain topics such as the Agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and many more. While the pillar on occupation could carry a Journalist or a Politician or a Police Officer. The people who have a little time to give and valuable experiences to share, are typically ideal books.

Why become a book in the Human Library

Quite simply put, because it is incredibly rewarding to help others better understand and it is a good opportunity to be part of creating a more inclusive and understanding community. It is also a way to

be heard and to provide knowledge to others. To inspire and to challenge what is being said. And to be part of something much bigger and across groups in the community. To walk should to shoulder with others just like you and yet very different. To find common ground and to be part of a place, where it is always okay to be you and where people volunteered to answer difficult and sometimes quite personal questions. Visit our Human Library Book FAQ for find more details about your publication.

Whats next for Brooklyn

The depot manager and the team of librarians are getting ready to host the first trainings for the new books. So if you are living in the Big Apple and you have an open book inside you. Then maybe you can help us challenge stereotypes and stimulate dialogue about our diversity. The NYC book depot in time is expected to have capacity to host 12-30 events annually at schools, libraries, universities, festivals and conferences. We hope to host the first local events in Brooklyn by the fall of 2019.

See our online book application form here

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