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.

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The work to bring the Human Library to Muncie, Indiana began in May 2019, when the new book depot manager took part in the first training session hosted in Indianapolis by the Human Library Organisation. 

Six months later, 40 books are now sitting in the interim book depot at Oakhurst Gardens, ready to be published for the first time. All of them have volunteered to be an open book about their own group in the community. A source for important and often very personal information. The sort you cannot easily access through an online search.

To be an open book

They are here to use their knowledge, to give their answers, to share their truth about something that often has stigmatized them on their life journey or posted a tremendous challenge for them to overcome. Today is an opportunity for some of the Books to convert often painful learnings into something positive. Something that can work to the benefit of someone else and the community. Waiting for readers are topics like Transgender, Police Officer, Refugee, Victim of abusive parents, Disabled, Depression and many more.

Readers from the get-go

Hosting a stand alone event in a venue away from a natural traffic of potential readers, can be a real test. But at this event our readers where there from the get-go, ready to dive in and start finding answers to difficult questions. The conversations went on through the day and the front desk registered over 65 loans over the afternoon.

Very different yet so very similar

A quick look around in the book depot and you cannot help but notice the incredible diversity present in the room. People from different ethnic backgrounds, different religious beliefs, different social backgrounds and some with disabilities. All coming together with many others and in all of our differences, at that moment, it was very obvious how incredibly similar we all are. 

The books from the Muncie Human Library soon learned, that they have a very strong common bond. A bond in their ability to show and share some of the most vulnerable or stigmatizing circumstances in their life, while possessing the strength to face and overcome the challenges.

Son of a book made event film

At the end of the day, a round of evaluation was carried out, as it should be after each event. To ensure that all books are still in mint condition and that everyone had a good experience. Each book shared their thoughts on the event and their meeting with readers. Most expressed a clear desire to be published again and said the conversations had a very positive impact on all parties involved. 

One of the books brought her son, Tre, a skilled SoMe content producer and he made a film from the day featuring some of the books and readers. Watch the clip below and it will almost seem like you were there. 

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