In our first Reader of the Month sit, we meet a lady from France named Solène, 34. She moved to the UK in 2016 and works for a consumer healthcare company as a scientist and very much enjoys meeting new people and discussing different topics. A natural born reader of the Human Library you could say. Soléne has read books both in digital and analog versions. Here is an insight to her reader journey with the Human Library.

How did you first come to learn of the Human Library?

My employer gave us the opportunity to participate in the Human Library online. It turned out it was a great opportunity for me to discover this wonderful initiative.

What has your reader journey been like? 

It’s been really interesting, in the beginning I was mostly choosing topics quite far from my own personal experience and only slowly approaching topics that are closer to my heart.

First the digital bookshelf, then you have visited us in-person. Why did you pursue in-person also? 

Doing sessions online from the comfort of my home was great, however I was missing an important dimension, the human aspect when discussing in real life. So attending the Human Library Book Cafe in London brought the experience to another level for me.

How many books have you read now?

One of our librarians getting ready for the Human LIbrary Book Cafe in London.

I have read more than 10 books addressing eclectic topics like disability, sexuality, mental health, religion & belief, neurodiversity and many more.

What are some of the most important key takeaways for you? 

Time flies very quickly. This initiative is a good opportunity to ask all the questions you always wanted to get an answer, in a safe environment. It’s also a great chance to open our minds and challenge our way of thinking.

Why read so many books? 

I have started to read one book, then two and so on. I always wanted to know more about people and their experiences. And the more books you read the wiser you can get.

What would you say to people who are not sure if they should borrow a book from the Human Library? 

Just do it, you won’t regret it. It will bring you so much insight in your life.

Any great tips for other readers? Any comments for the books you have read so far?

To be comfortable before your first reading, get a few questions ready for your book and just be yourself. Remember the Human Library is a safe environment to discuss and learn more about ourselves and others. 

I wish this initiative will grow worldwide and become accessible to all people.

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Since we created the Human Library in 2000, we have published our books in more than 80 countries around the world. A few weeks ago, we added to the list when we launched the Human Library in Madagascar.

More than 65 readers dropped by the Simeon Rajaona Library in Antananarivo for the first Human Library on the island. The actual number was higher as librarians had to turn some readers away because all 10 books were out on loan and booked for the rest of the day.

With support from a great team of 18 volunteer librarians and organizers, the bookshelf offered readers access to topics like ADHD, Oprhan, Mh-atoky tena, Burnout and Introvert. The response was heartwarming.

We Need More of This Everywhere

Photo by David Andriantsilavo. The Human Library is Bibliotheque Humaine in Madagascar.

After the event, we asked both our books and readers about their experiences. One book felt the impact immediately.

“It amazes me how people relate to you when you share your story and how people are so kind towards you when they understand you more. We need more of this everywhere and more often.”

Another book felt the power of their journey and found confirmation of their courage.

“During the reading, I remembered how I felt when I was dealing with my health condition, and it hurt a little. But while I was discussing with my readers, I looked back and I saw how brave I was and how far I have come. I will definitely come back.”

Lastly, it is of utmost importance to us that our volunteers feel embraced, included and accepted in the space. This comment confirmed that the framing was supportive and empowering.

“I am more than ready to be a book again. I love sharing and talking openly to people about different issues, and the Human library is a safe place to do that.”

The Work Continues

The response from readers, books and partners was overly positive, and it helped confirm the potential of the Human Library in Madagascar, where we found a community ready to embrace more learning opportunities. Based on the initial feedback and outcomes, we plan to continue our work with local partners to bring more Human Library programs to the community. 

If you are able to help us reach more readers in Madagascar and around the world. Please use this link to DONATE and support our work.

Photo by David Andriantsilavo. The great team from the Human Library in Madagascar.

The post The Human Library Launch in Madagascar appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

In a heartfelt celebration of community leaders, Peggy Lewis, 67, dedicated volunteer and Human Library Book Depot Manager in Muncie, In, received the Vivian V. Conley Award for Distinction in Advocacy for Social Justice on August 28th for her work with the Human Library.

Vivian V. Conley was a prominent civil rights activist and community champion in Muncie and at the forefront of many community issues relating to education and civil and elderly rights. The award, named in her honour, recognizes individuals who, like Vivian herself, stand at the forefront of community matters and drive meaningful change. Peggy’s dedication to creating an inclusive community where diverse voices are heard aligns seamlessly with the award’s values and serves as a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contributions to the community.

Peggy Lewis in the middle, celebrated by Books and Librarians.

“You need to understand that this is my passion, and the real winners are all of the Books and Librarians who work together to help me make this a reality. I am humbled and honoured. I was so happy to share this moment with some of those Books and Librarians as well as my sons,” Peggy says. 

Making Indiana a Human Library hub

Peggy Lewis has been leading the local work in Muncie since 2019, and with a band of incredible volunteers, they have built a strong local presence that is giving voice to the diversity of the community and enabling learning opportunities across educational institutions, festivals and workplaces. 

She has put thousands of hours into caretaking for Books, Librarians and readers. Ensuring the safe space for all involved in the work. 

Peggy got involved almost by circumstance after meeting Human Library founder Ronni Abergel at a training session held in Indianapolis. Since then, she has been trained and visited the head office in Copenhagen, Denmark. Along with her team and the amazing Fort Wayne Human Library team, Peggy Lewis has helped make the state of Indiana a regular hub for the Human Library in the US. Peggy Lewis, we salute you.

Click to find a Human Library event near you

The post Human Library Book Depot Manager Wins Award appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

This year, the Human Library had the opportunity to contribute to Copenhagen Pride Week with a pop-up event at City Hall Square. On Tuesday, ten Books and four Librarians were able to complete over 50 loans in one afternoon. 

Readers getting guidance from one of our librarians. (Photo: Elin Hansen)

With topics such as asexual, HIV+, amputee, bipolar, anxiety and depression, the Human Library opened a temporary bookshelf in the middle of City Hall Square. Within four hours, all the Books were borrowed multiple times, and there was a constant buzz from the many exchanges between readers from around the world and the volunteer books from the Human Library’s Book Depot in Copenhagen. Loans were, as always, free to our readers. 

Great Interest from Readers

Copenhagen Pride is already an event with a strong focus on diversity, which makes the concept of the Human Library a great fit for the program, and the interest from readers was substantial. 

“We’ve basically had almost all of our Books out on loans all throughout the afternoon,” Says Librarian Linnea Hardgrib

One of the pageturners that have been in the hands of readers is our latest Book of the Month, 46-year-old Filip Milo. He is an open book in the Human Library with the subject of being an amputee. 

Filip Milo at Copenhagen Pride. (Photo: Elina Hansen)

“I was borrowed by, among others, a lesbian couple, where one was a doctor and the other a chiropractor, and it turned into a longer conversation about physics, illness, and healthcare. Others wanted to know how it had gone so wrong. And since I was wearing shorts for the Pride event, my book topic as an amputee was quite evident to anyone before we even started talking.”

Takes Courage to Talk Openly About Anxiety

Monica Molin is 27 years old and offers her readers access to her lived experience with anxiety. This resulted in six loans in four hours. 

“I think it’s incredibly brave that my readers come and talk openly and honestly about their own experiences. One reader had just arrived in Copenhagen from Germany the day before, and she mentioned that many of her friends were struggling with anxiety, and she wanted some advice on how to best support the people in her network. And that’s actually one of the best things for me as a book to talk about. How we can best support and help each other,” says Monica. 

Even heavy rain could not prevent people from taking advantage of the learning opportunity. And so after a bit of rain, it cleared up again, and people could sit outside in the sunshine with their open book and challenge their prejudices. 

An open book with her readers at Pride in Copenhagen. (Photo: Elin Hansen)

The post The Human Library at Copenhagen Pride appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

“An otherwise very competent doctor at Rigshospitalet told me that I shouldn’t expect to ever be walking again. I don’t know whether that was reverse psychology, but it worked because it made me think: ‘Well, that’s not for him to decide.’”

We are sitting inside the Café of Send Flere Krydderier (Send More Spices) – a cosy little haven embraced by the community centre, Union, in the middle of Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The name of this place may seem a tad contradictory, for while we’re sitting there, a sublime scent of curry, garam masala, and coriander is weaved into the smooth notes coming from the Malian singer Rokai Traoré who’s playing on the speakers in the background. But maybe that’s exactly where the Café got its name from – because its food always includes so many lovely spices. 

Filip and I have sat ourselves in one end of the room with a cup of coffee in our hands. We are meeting to discuss his life and his role as a Book in the Human Library. He’s 46 and started publishing as an open Book in 2020 with the title “Amputee” after hearing about the organisation through a friend. He has been a volunteer ever since. As with many Human Library Books, I quickly discovered that you should never judge a book by its cover since Filip’s story entails much more than just his amputated legs. 

At 19 years old he left Jehovah’s Witnesses due to the fact that he is gay, and he started living alone in Copenhagen. What’s more is that he underwent a malignant cancer disease in the first half of 2020, which included momentary death, and eventually resulted in the loss of both his legs. 

“From an early point in life I’ve been used to people questioning who I am. So, ever since I was young, I’ve had to make tough decisions about myself and my life.”

Filip, a man who’s always in possession of a wink and a smile, is interested in talking about everything under the sun. He grew up a Jehovah’s Witness with his family in Jutland, a chapter of his life that’s helped shape him into the person that he is today. Among other things, he uses his upbringing as a reason why he from an early age, was conscious of what he wanted in life. But this was also the reason for his ostracisation from his family, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do not allow homosexuality in their religion.

It was a heavy choice to take, but at the same time, also a choice where he knew the consequences and felt it was a necessary action. It may sound cold and cynical, as Filip says, but in the end, it was a decision about whether he should live someone else’s life or his own, and when putting it like that it wasn’t a difficult decision for him to make. 

“There are many opportunities for people with a disability if you actually do a bit of research. Do you know how many places where I can gain free entrance in Copenhagen? Most, if not all, museums and the Zoo only cost me a penny.” 

At the start of 2020, Filip was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 43. From there, things began to escalate quickly. Filip started on an arduous journey with chemotherapy, and his doctor told him that he would either die from the cancer or the chemo. And that is literally what happened. Filip went into cardiac arrest and was in a coma for six weeks. It was while in a coma that he developed gangrene in his feet because his body couldn’t provide enough oxygen. 

On the 13th of August 2020, Filip was officially declared cancer free, but in the process, his legs were amputated from his feet to above his knees. It was one of the toughest chapters of his life, but at the same time, he had a steadfast resolution about being able to live his life to the fullest afterwards – despite having lost his legs. 

Throughout the course of his rehabilitation, that resolution persisted. He believes that his resolve comes from his time as a Jehovah’s Witness. From an early age, he experienced the necessity of taking control of his own life, and this has followed him ever since. 

Today, he’s using prosthetics for his legs, and he is enjoying the many opportunities available for disabled people in Copenhagen. Despite a supportive effort from the local municipality, Filip rarely needed much of their help, and he does view himself lucky as he made it through all the adversity without giving up. 

“I was in a place where I didn’t know whether I would be judged and met with prejudice or not.”

Filip started volunteering as a Book at the Human Library after the cancer treatment because one of his friends was a Book already. Thankfully, it’s a rare occurrence that Filip is met with prejudice in public – most of the time it’s children who point and stare. However, as he explains himself, the worst part after the amputation was the uncertainty that followed him around about what would happen and if he could ever live a normal life again. 

Uncertainty begets insecurity, Filip says. And, perhaps, it’s this uncertainty that many people without a physical disability have. The uncertainty of what life you can lead with a physical disability can quickly turn into an insecurity if you aren’t aware of the many offers and support available from your local municipality and not-for-profit organisations.

Filip states the therapeutic aspect as one of the main instigators as to why he joined the Human Library. Instead of sitting at home and losing touch with reality, he needed to ‘touch grass’ and be able to talk to people – something that also helped him talk about the entire process of his cancer and amputation in its entirety. 

However, today the aspects have changed a bit. Instead of being a therapeutic outlet for himself, he’s discovered how much value his experiences are giving other people as well. People are often very moved by his journey, and, as Filip states, when you’re affected by someone’s life, you start to think. 

My coffee went cold a while ago as a consequence of the intense and emotional talk with Filip, and Rokai Traoré’s mellow song is coming to an end. I thank Filip for his courage and openness, and while we leave the café, I reflect again on my own prejudice around physical disabilities. Turns out Filip’s theory was true – I was affected by his story, and it surely made me think. 

Visit the Human Library Reading Garden in Copenhagen on a Sunday to get a chance to read Filip.

The post Book of the Month – Amputee appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

Linda from Copenhagen, Denmark, has one of the more unique titles on the Human Library bookshelf; Psychic healer. In 2018, she came across a Facebook post about The Human Library Organization, which sparked a desire to join once she had the time and mental capacity. Linda has now been a part of the Copenhagen book depot since June 2022.

Never Alone

Since childhood, Linda has lived with a sense of people being around her; “When I would ask them something, I got an answer. It was not just a feeling of yes or no. It was long and complicated sentences. Answers that I couldn’t have thought of, unpredictable answers. I have always felt that they were on my side.”

A Sixth Sense

Linda’s abilities are called Extra Sensory Perception, shortened as ESP, or popularly called a sixth sense. “It’s when your senses exceed the physical ones. We all live with the five senses that we know, but with extra sensory, I can see memories that are not my own, for example.”, Linda explains. “If you asked me about something from your childhood, I can close my eyes, tune in, and see the situation you’re talking about. A situation you’ve never told me about that no one could know without having been there.”

Bullied by her Bosses

Linda’s readers have the opportunity to learn about her abilities and her job as a healer, but for Linda, it is equally important to touch upon what it has been like to live as an outsider. “Because I’m a psychic, I have been bullied to the point of having to see a therapist. I’ve had to leave four different jobs because my co-workers were bullying me. At two of those places the boss was also part of the bullying.”

“Since I was a teenager, I’ve talked about clairvoyance and being psychic, and I have met a lot of resistance. It definitely has not been fun, and there have been times where I’ve thought, ‘Maybe I should just shut up about it’.” Linda says when asked about her reasons for wanting to become an open Book. 

“I’ve also had to deal with depression regularly because I have felt like there was no room for me in society. So it was actually a way to fight back.”

Challenging the Stigmas and Stereotypes

The fight Linda talks about is not only about her own experiences but also those of her colleagues within the alternative treatment community and their clients: “There is this stigma about psychics, which is what I represent, and other alternative treatment providers, that we’re crazy, that we’re naive, and we’ll believe anything. There are so many prejudices about what we are and who the people that come to see us are.”

Lockdown Changed Attitudes

But this attitude has recently started to change; Linda herself believes that the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic have led many more to research alternative medicine, healing and clairvoyance while in self-isolation.

“I think many people have been watching Netflix and YouTube at home on the couch and come across alternative documentaries, of which there are some amazing ones, and started thinking, ‘maybe there is something to it’,” Linda says. “Now, when I tell people that I’m psychic, people say, ‘Wow, that’s exciting; tell me more’. It used to be, ‘Oh, so you’re someone I’m allowed to bully’.”

“It’s a completely new society that I’ve returned to.” She laughs. “It used to be a discussion about whether clairvoyance is real. Now, it’s more of a dialogue about how it is possible, whether I’ve always had these experiences, and how it feels. They are curious about what is going on within the psychic. I really like talking about that.”

Read Linda in Copenhagen

One way to get the opportunity to read Linda is if you drop by the Human Library Reading Garden in Copenhagen. We are open to the public every Sunday from noon to 4 pm, and as always, the services of the Human Library are free to our readers.

Want to know more about our Books? Read about our last Book of the Month, Paris.

The post Book of the Month: Psychic Healer appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

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.

The care system might not be an easy thing to talk about, but Paris almost makes it look like it is. She is such a great speaker – with warmth in her voice, a charming London accent, and obvious experience as a public speaker. Paris’ story, on the surface, is about the care system: how she got into it, what her experience was like, and how it is affecting her to this day. Mostly, however, her story is about making a life for herself despite all that happened and how to get something positive out of what she has experienced in the system. She accomplishes this through her job as a motivational speaker, but also through being a book at the Human Library.

The Care System

Paris went into the foster system when she was six years old. “I was at school, and my teacher at the time said that she wanted to speak to me after school and that some people wanted to meet me. These were people from an organization called NSPCC, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. They explained that I was not going to go back home and that I needed to come with them.”

Paris was first taken to a hospital: “I was going to school in the middle of summer with long trousers, cardigans on and thick roller necks. The teachers knew that something was not quite right. But they were not sure, so the NSPCC, when they saw me, immediately realized that I was covered in bruises, cuts, burn marks, all sorts of horrible scars, things that had healed over time. They were concerned that there might be some internal damage.”

After two weeks, Paris was released from the hospital and went to an assessment centre. As the youngest child in the centre by far, she was treated well, but the carers lacked knowledge about raising a black child: “They did not have much clue about a black child with afro hair and black skin, so one of my earlier memories is them trying to wash my hair in the kitchen over a bowl of some sort and my hair was just all tangled. They couldn’t brush it and did not know what to do with it, so they just shaved it all off. I was teased and bullied, and that was really hard because I was so young and already so confused and upset about being in care.”

Unfortunately, her bad experiences did not end there. As her mother got sentenced to prison for four years, she went into the care system. She joined her first foster family just before she turned eight years old but soon left the family as she was bullied by one of the other children there. What followed was a slew of breakdowns of families and back and forths of different homes until she finally left the care system and got her own flat right before her 18th birthday. She knew what she wanted to do with her life then: “I was fed up and hurt by so many breakdowns in families, and angry at the world for not having a mom and dad that loved me, but at the same time, I loved school and learning. I had my sights on making my adult life as successful and happy as I could make it, and I was really determined that I would achieve as much as I could in my life.”

Life After the Care System

A question she gets asked a lot is how she has managed to overcome her difficult past. “Some of the knockbacks that I got have made me stronger and even more determined,” she explains.

“I realized in my early 20s that being angry at the world and at my past was not really going to get me anywhere, so wasn’t there a way that I could turn something so negative into something a little more positive? I started focusing on learning and giving back, doing voluntary work and helping people that were less fortunate than me.”

Besides doing voluntary work, Paris also started to make a living from motivational speaking and being a trainer. “I originally started off as a school speaker through a website, so I was speaking at schools and colleges initially. And once that grew a bit more, I became self- employed, and I left my job as a secondary school teacher and a trainer. It’s great, I absolutely love it.”

Finding the Human Library

Her experience in motivational speaking and her passion for equality are what attracted her to the Human Library. She found the website through a friend who is a Book at the Library and was immediately interested: “I was really blown away by what I read, it was a perfect fit for me.”

She applied to be a book mainly to address judgements people have towards those who have been in care. “People instantly discriminate, and unfortunately, some of that discrimination is based on statistical facts: most people that grow up in that care system do end up with very poor outcomes. They end up in prison and/or with mental health problems. I wanted to be a book so I could dispel the myth that that is what all people in care are like, that we’re all damaged goods, and we are someone to stay away from. I wanted people to have the opportunity to see another side and a different outcome,” she explains.

“If there is one thing that I want people to take away from my story, it is that I am positive and happy to be me, and I wouldn’t change anything about my past.”

Dispelling Myths and Challenging Judgements 

Paris with Readers

Fortunately, her experience at the Human Library so far has allowed her to achieve this. From the questions she gets, she senses that discrimination usually comes from ignorance rather than deliberate judgment.

“The Human Library is really important for breaking down barriers, for dispelling myths, for really getting people to unjudge. The caption ‘Unjudge Someone’ is brilliant, and I like it because there is an awareness that we all judge and that judging is an important part of human life. The Human Library gives people the opportunity to really challenge their unconscious biases and question some of the thoughts and stereotypes around all sorts of issues, and meet people they wouldn’t normally meet. Humans gravitate towoards those they feel are similar to themselves, and so they don’t meet a young black female who has been in care and also just happens to not be straight. They don’t have the opportunity, so it’s nice to share that and be part of allowing people to explore our diversity.”

The Human Library gives Paris an opportunity to talk about the care system, but especially her specific story and about “race, colour, sexuality, gender and all of those identity issues that people need to hear about from the people that are experiencing them.”

The Human Library Family

The Human Library also helps her further create more positivity and healing. “I find it’s quite therapeutic to talk about my past because it’s a difficult past. Talking about it isn’t painful because, as a motivational speaker, I talk about it a lot – but it’s therapeutic, it’s still healing.”

As she has done both online and face-to-face readings, she has also found the benefits in both. The virtual readings have given her an opportunity to meet readers from all over the world, while the face-to-face readings have given her a sense of community with the other books. “The books are all so lovely and so diverse. I find it quite exciting to be in a room with someone who describes themselves as a Satanist. I’ve met people in the Human Library that I know I wouldn’t have met in real life. Everyone is just so supportive and caring, we really do look out for one another. The Human Library family is definitely like a family, and to someone like me who has grown up as I did, that’s really important.”

Want to know more about our Books? Read about our last Books of the month, Andy and Bernadette.

The post Book of the Month: Care Experienced Child appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

The Human Library Reading Garden is gearing up for another tremendous season of courageous conversations in Copenhagen. We are all set to reopen for loans again at the end of April, and the great news is that this season we will be open to our public readers every Sunday, and yes, it is still free to use the services of the Human Library.

More than 500 Loans

In the previous season, we registered over 560 loans to readers during the Sunday sessions. This confirms the increasing level of interest, support and love from our Readers. People from all over the world visited us to borrow and read some of our open Books, and we are delighted to be able to provide even more opportunities for Books and Readers this season. The conversations about our diversity are more important than ever.

Open Every Sunday

Our team of Books and Librarians look forward to welcoming our readers every Sunday. The many visitors last year confirmed to us that we need to be providing even more opportunities for Readers to engage with our Books. The Reading Garden in Copenhagen has seen an ever-increasing influx of visitors since our grand opening in 2020 (*link to article).

“We are excited to be able to offer more learning spaces to the people of Copenhagen and visitors to the city and expect a steady traffic of courageous Readers this season”, says Ronni Abergel, founder of the Human Library and creator of the Reading Garden”

A Unique Learning Experience

The Human Library Reading Garden offers a free and unique learning experience for Readers to engage in dialogue on topics that often carry a great stigma and with people who have a relevant lived experience and who volunteered to answer questions about their life and background.

The new season in the Human Library Reading Garden will launch Sunday, April 23rd, and you can find a link to the event here. Readers are welcome from noon to 4 PM, and as always, the services of the Human Library are free to our Readers.

The post New Season at the Human Library Reading Garden appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

Andy and Bernadette have been married for more than 23 years. That is longer than the Human Library has been in existence. They are one of very few couples that are also both Books on our bookshelf. If you are lucky you can read them when they are published at our events in the United Kingdom. 

A Book about Deafness

Andy has been deaf all of his life but he does not see himself like that, “it’s just something that I learned to deal with” he says. He is a Book on overcoming obstacles and achieving success in life while dealing with a hearing disability.  

He was the youngest of five children, so safe to say it was a full house which provided him with valuable life skills: “I picked up language quite well, it was a busy house”. 

Parents Resisted Sending Andy to a School for Deaf Children

In the 1970s when he was five years old, the local authorities wanted to send him to a school for children that were deaf, which would entail that he was going to be away from home. 

“My mom and dad were against it because they felt that I was a normally functioning kid”. Andy then had to take an intelligence test to prove he was just like a ‘normal’ child, and to the surprise of the authorities, he turned out to be quite intelligent: “I obviously did OK and ended up going to a normal school”. 

Awarded by Lady Diana and Hired by Heineken

He was the first child with a hearing disability to go to that school, “And I did well” he adds.  “Eventually I went to university and was given an award for ‘Young Deaf Achiever of the year’”.

The award was presented and given to him by the late Lady Diana, a day he will never forget: 

“It was quite a big achievement getting a university degree despite being deaf”. 

Andy later went on to have a 30-year career as a chartered Engineer in the brewing industry and latterly working for Heineken UK and this is where he first learned about the Human Library. He became a reader through work and after that he volunteered to become a book.

“Being deaf has its moments of frustration but for me, it has always been about your ability and not your disability”.

An Open Book about Anxiety and Depression

Bernadette’s story as a Book at the Human Library highlights her experience with anxiety and depression after being subject to bullying, 

“I was bullied at work by someone who was working for me”. 

Bernadette was working in HR and found herself in a difficult position, “so when working in Human Resources, where can you go to if you are being bullied?”. 

The bullying went on for two years and had a severe impact on her mental health. Upon returning after a holiday, she found herself trembling with fear at the thought of getting back into the office: 

“On my drive there my foot was on the brake and I was shaking”. She went into the office anyway but quickly became unwell, “I just said I think I’ve got jetlag, I am going home, I don’t feel well, which was all a lie”, she recalls.

 After coming home, she rang up the doctors and they wanted to see her straight away, “that threw me off because I wasn’t expecting that”, she adds “So, I went to the doctors and cried and got signed off for a month. I was able to get support very quickly and spent 6 months as a day patient where I had therapy sessions”. 

Despite her efforts to return to work, the bullying persisted, this time by a new perpetrator. Bernadette ended up taking a year off, seeking therapy and medication to help with her struggles. 

The Human Library Experience

Before being published as a Book, Andy first became a Reader multiple times: “I work for Heineken and they were quite supportive of the Human Library, so I got to read a number of Books at different events, and I would come home and tell Bernadette all about it and about some of the Books that I read”. 

Bernadette had been doing some work for Stockport Libraries on mental health and her own story with it. Then Stockport Library wanted to host a Human Library and was in need of Books to publish, “so I said come on, Andy, you know this” Bernadette says. 

Publishing Locally

They arrived at the Book training expecting it to be a local version of the Human Library but quickly found that it was the real deal. Andy even recognised a Book that he had the pleasure of reading at one of the events through work.

In total, 8 Books were published at Stockport Library that day. “While we were waiting to be taken out by readers, we were reading each other’s stories and it was just a really joyous, positive and gorgeous day. We loved it, didn’t we?” Bernadette says as she looks at Andy. “Yeah, it was lovely to be in a room full of different storybooks and have the experience of listening to each other’s stories and becoming friends effectively through that”.

We Forgot How to Talk to Each Other

They both agree that the Human Library is an effective tool for challenging stigmas and fostering meaningful conversations.  “It’s amazing how easily it can break down barriers quite quickly because it allows you to have a discussion about something and you also learn how to talk to people. I think we have forgotten how to.” Andy says and Bernadette adds, “I always say the conversations that you should be having are the ones you avoid and what the Human Library does, is that it creates that safe space where you can ask everything and you can make mistakes and that is OK. If you reduce the fear you automatically increase your confidence.”

Sharing Stories

Being married for 23 years has not always been a walk in the library, “we’ve had our struggles but we ploughed on and supported each other through grief, losing our parents and we just try to be open. Sometimes I quite happily want to run away”, Bernadette says with a smile, “but that is what marriage is about, it has its ups and downs, and our Books and topics are who we are. Ultimately, we just talk. When you are bringing up a family and consumed by chores and routine meaningful conversation can be forgotten because you’re so tired and just want to switch off”. 

Being published as a Book has been a unique experience for both of them. Participating in the Human Library event has allowed them to challenge their own stereotypes and judgements of others. They found that the experience of being Books and being published has helped them to connect on a deeper level, both with each other and with other Readers. 

“For me, I think this has allowed us to share a bit more with the family”, Andy says and continues “it makes you think differently and it does make you challenge your stereotypes when you meet someone who whether it is a disability or something hidden that you would not notice, it does challenge your judgement of people”. 

Read our previous Book of the Month article about Daniel who sees his wheelchair as anything but a limitation.

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More people than ever before have joined the bookshelf of the Human Library. In total 437 new Books have been trained, edited and published at events in 2022.  

It is a feat in itself to be able to add over 400 new editions and it speaks volumes to the growing interest for the Human Library from Books and Readers around the world. 

New Content from 22 Nations

This year we are fortunate to have been able to welcome new Books from 22 different countries. Adding more opportunity and more diversity to our local Book Depots. The new Books have joined us from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Greater Diversity in Content

As the Human Library continues to grow, we are excited to continue to expand the range of topics that we can offer our Readers. From individuals who have experienced homelessness to refugees, survivors of domestic abuse to people with Bipolar disorder, our Books offer a unique opportunity for Readers to engage with people from many different walks of life.

If you are thinking about becoming an Open Book for the Human Library then please visit this page for more information.

The post Over 400 New Books Join the Human Library appeared first on The Human Library Organization.