On Wednesday the 24th of January the Human Library set a new reader record with 500 employees from Danish international manufacturing company Velux, joining our “Reading Hall” sessions in Odense, the hometown of renowned author of fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen. 

Reading Hall full of innovators

The Odeon concert hall floor was lined with tables all buzzing with courageous conversations. Yet the space revealed an amazing acoustic capability that ensured everyone in each group of “readers” were audible. The learning exercise was embedded in a global conference for staff from Velux Products & Innovation.

“We are here to kick off our next step to ensure a more sustainable and inclusive workplace” said Tina Mayn, Executive Vice President for products at Velux to Danish broadcaster TV2/Fyn. 

A fantastic learning experience

A body modified book with readers from Velux Products & Innovation.

Never before has the Human Library published its books for so many in one afternoon and the response from readers was both moving and quite significant. Hundreds submitted a reader’s review and many stopped by the librarians on their way out to say thank you for a great day.

“This was an incredibly beautiful and fantastic learning experience. I found it to be very valuable and I had outcomes that I know will stay with me” said Velux innovation and research lead Anna Clausen, after her readings.

Continuing the conversations online

More than 25 different topics were published for our record 500 readers from Velux. Including ADHD, autism, Cerebral Palsy, HIV, cancer survivor, amputee, transgender, obesity, and being body modified. 

To celebrate the milestone all 500 from Velux were invited to register for a complimentary Library Card with access to more readings on our online bookshelf. 

Anna Clausen also signed up for more books.

“I am curious to explore – “what I didn’t know, I didn’t know”. It’s pretzeled, but basically I have a great respect for the fact that there is so much I don’t know (nuances, similarities, taboos etc.) both on known and unknown topics.”

Conclusions

The Human Library sessions for Velux stands as a testament to the power of open dialogue in creating more inclusive workplaces. By breaking down barriers and encouraging conversations about diverse experiences, Velux has taken a significant step toward building a workplace that values the richness of its employees’ backgrounds and perspectives. The success of this event reinforces the importance of such initiatives in fostering understanding, empathy, and unity within organizations.

Watch the TV2/Fyn news report from the event here

Read more about the Human Library online here

Visit Velux here

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Our Human Library Book of the Month is a series of portraits of our books created with the purpose of offering our readers a chance to understand the diversity and variety within our bookshelves around the world. It also provides unique insights into the motivations and values of being a book and volunteering for our organization.

For Aske becoming a book in the Human Library was something that happened by way of coincidence. One day at school the Human Library was on the schedule for the days program. After attending as a reader Aske was approached by a librarian and encouraged to join the Copenhagen Book Depot. That was three years ago and the rest is history as they say.

“The event made such an impression on me, that when I gave it some thought I realized that my journey could also be of value to others and so why not try and help people better understand”, he says.

“When I publish my primary topic has been Transgender, but I am also lent out to be open about my social anxiety, a skitzotypical disorder and my body modifications. I stay a busy book.”

Aske can no longer recall how many times he has been published, but attends as many events as possible, which usually means two events and sometimes more, each month.

Challenging the stereotypes

Bestseller of the year 2018, Aske Ravn.

With 3 to 5 loans at each event, Aske is a very popular book and he has had many different conversations. 

“Every loan is different, but usually I challenge the first three main stereotypes, before I even open my mouth: You see to most people I don’t look “transgender” and very many of them are expecting to meet a man dressed as a woman, or they expect a cross dresser to come out”.

With the body modifications, the many piercings and tattoos along with significant facial hair in the form of a beard, Aske also has the experience that many readers assume that it must be quite difficult to find a partner.

 “I honestly have never ever had anyone turn me down because of my gender or body.” 

The complexity of transitioning

After the first most common are out of the way, many readers also tend to assume that Aske is looking to go through surgery for a formal gender change.

 “The thing is I have never wanted that. It is my impression that many of my readers are of the assumption that transgender’s transitions is a black and white thing. From one gender, to the other, with no gray zones. But usually it’s not, and actually most of the transgender people that I know, and that is quite a few, don’t feel like they need to change alot of things, because to us, there’s not really a change happening. We know who we are, we’re just telling the world how it is. To everyone else, it seems like a lot of change is happening, but really, we’re just finally living the life we always felt was right for us. And unfortunately, some changes need to happen to our body, for people to accept who we really are. 

Most frequently answered questions

Aske explains that usually the conversations will include questions such as; What did your parents say, what is your sexual orientation, and when did you know. From there the loan can go in many directions. 

“We talk about my feelings about transitioning, how society and the government treats me, what physically happens to my body when injecting hormones, how I wish to be treated, and so on”. 

Helping people better understand

Becoming an open book made a lot of sense to Aske. Who loves to be the one to actually go and do something. He feels he does that by helping to offer a safe space where people can challenge the stereotypes and ask freely.  

“It’s awesome for me to see it happening right in front of my eyes, and to know that I did something nice for everybody else from my community. Because after the 30 minute conversation, I know my readers will talk to their friends and family about what they learned.”

Aske is very aware that not all questions can be answered and that the takeaways from readers are as bountiful for him as they seem to be for them.

“To meet with someone, who actually really wants to listen to what I have to say, and take that in. Some of them ask questions, that I might have never thought about, and that helps me get to know myself better, and also to be completely open in my answers. I always do my best to answer honestly and sometimes the answer I have to give is – I have no idea.” 

A valuable meeting for all involved

According to Aske, the Human Library creates something with value for all involved.

“I just honestly love the whole concept. This really brings people together. I talk to people I would otherwise never have had a conversation with. And I learn so much myself from both my readers, and the other books. I didn’t know much about blindness, deafness, incest, alot of mental disorders, and so on, before I got to meet them in the book depot. I even made friends with a police officer, that’s for sure something I thought would never happen”.

Something healthy about being open

As the years in the book collection add on, Aske remains in active circulation.

“It’s always healthy to challenge yourself, and to willingly learn or unlearn something. It opens up your world to meet different people, or it can be healing to mirror yourself in someone, and learn something about yourself”. 

Aske Ravn is on loan at events hosted by the Human Library book depot in Copenhagen since 2016.

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