A global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products is helping the Human Library develop an app for interactive equality and diversity experiences

Imagine logging on to an online library service full of real people that have volunteered to go on a “loan” with you as their “reader” and talk about important issues. You can “borrow” a transgender person and learn about their transition or a refugee from Syria or a person with a mental health history and ask anything about their topic. You can browse a world of diversity, engage with people from around the world and perhaps unjudge someone as you realize your own unconscious bias.

One step closer

The pandemic has brought about many challenges, but also forced us to find new ways to develop our work and achieve our goals. The Human Library has long dreamed of creating a safe space online where our readers can explore, learn and perhaps unjudge someone. That dream is now one step closer to becoming a reality as Masco Corporation has become a founding partner of the Human Library Online, an app that will host conversations about diversity.

To adapt to COVID-19, Masco was one of the first Human Library diversity partners to offer virtual sessions for its employees. With a strong belief that diverse perspectives and an inclusive workplace make them stronger and can deliver better possibilities, Masco planned sessions for employees at Behr® paint and Liberty® hardware, with the option for employees across their entire family of companies to join. 575 employees across Masco became readers of the Human Library from home in 2020; an additional 1,200 employees are slated to attend online sessions this year.

Masco the first contributor

Masco President and CEO Keith Allman was among the first to engage and has since continued to “read” more Human Library Books. “My personal takeaway is that we all have common ground to connect on. We are surrounded by so many incredible stories with people overcoming adversity every single day. Expanding this learning experience to its full potential creates more access to conversations that help us better understand these important issues. The sooner we can do that, the sooner we can create a more inclusive environment in our organizations and communities.”

The Human Library app is a further development of the success and experiences gained from last year’s online work and allows the Human Library to unite our human resources from local book depots all over the world.

“Before Covid-19 you needed to be on location at the local library, university, or festival to become a reader, or maybe you could access it through work. With our own app and human books in more than 80 countries, we can connect more people with information. Creating a safe space to explore diversity will help us better understand each other, while scaling up by reaching more readers for an even greater impact,” says Ronni Abergel, founder of the Human Library.

About Masco

Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Their portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Behr® paint; Delta® and Hansgrohe® faucets, bath and shower fixtures; Kichler® decorative and outdoor lighting; and HotSpring® spas. For more information about Masco Corporation, visit www.masco.com.

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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.

Two years on the bookshelf has helped our Book of the Month learn as much about himself, as he has about his readers. The journey has not been easy, but it has always been rewarding, says Leonardo Blas Urrutia or Leo as his friends call him. 

He is a young man, full of life, ambition, energy and optimism. A man with a gentle nature and a quiet pleasant presence. He takes time to find his words and you can tell he is very keen to be clear, as one former US president liked to say. Because there has been some misunderstandings for the 22 year old college student from Peru, now living in Californias Bay Area. 

“I joined the Human Library two years ago after I saw an ad on campus for an upcoming event at Foothill College, where I study. The ad made me realise that I had rarely questioned my stance on how other people treated and perceived me. I tried to ignore and normalize experiences like being underlooked for being a community college student, or being called a Mexican despite asserting I’m Peruvian.” 

For Leo the library has been an opportunity to better understand himself and his readers.

“When I learned about the library I felt an impulse I knew I had to follow, and I haven’t stopped. I’ve used the Human Library events as avenues to engage in conversation with myself and my readers, and have scratched the surface of topics I never thought were part of my life. For instance, after opening up during my first event, at Foothill College, I noticed that I had several misconceptions about myself, and that the most rational action I could take was to visit a counselor, which led to a PTSD diagnosis. And during one of my most recent events, hosted by UCLA, telling a Japanese family about my personal struggles while studying led me into counseling again, and an ADHD diagnosis.”

Human Library events take place in high schools, colleges, universities, libraries, community centres but also in work places. One of Leo´s finest moments as an open book happened during a reading for staff from eBay.

“It was my first corporate event and I was published at eBay’s headquarters in San Jose. After opening up to a group of four employees and telling them about the financial and socioeconomic struggles my family faced during our early stages, a lady of african american background empathized and resonated with my story. I saw tears dropping from her eyes as I spoke about the violence and insecurity I faced as a child and how my parents worked hard to pull my family out of that environment. After the reading we approached each other and hugged. It was a very heart-warming experience for me.”

Leo is on loan from the Human Library Bay Area Book Depot and this month among other he will be published online for staff from MASCO Corporation and as part of the collection for Unjudgement Day at the end of June. Helping us mark 20 years of Human Libraries across the world.

More information on Unjudgement Day

Apply to be published as a book in the Human Library.

The post Book of the Month: From Peru to the Bay appeared first on The Human Library Organization.

The Covid-19 crisis has proven a tremendous challenge for very many including the Human Library. We have stopped all activities across the world and spent time adapting to a new reality. Where sitting in groups close together and having couragous conversations about diversity is no longer feasible.

However it is important that the conversations continue and that is why we are now offering the Human Library online at both public and private events.

Unjudgement Day online

At the end of June we celebrate 20 years of human libraries around the world with Unjudgement Day. Our initial plans of hosting events across many continents was foiled and instead we are offering public events with reading opportunities online. Follow our SoMe channels to stay updated on our Unjudgement Day offerings.

Masco first to host online readings

Libraries and universities were not the only Human Library partners having to postpone events. Our corporate diversity partners were also impacted and many are still not able to resume their inclusion and diversity work. However MASCO Corporation have invited us to deliver a series of events online. Staff from across different business units will become the first corporate readers of the Human Library online.

The post Courageous conversations about diversity online appeared first on The Human Library Organization.