human library

Aaron: Browsing the Human Library A Mind-Opener

Aaron Watson

I once met a freegan at the Human Library.  She scared me.

No, that’s not fair.  Actually, it was my idea of a freegan that scared me.  I believed freegans were mostly desperate, overly-righteous crusaders for some sort of ill-defined, ethereal cause.  My mind pictured an army of privileged, dirty people wearing second-hand clothes and dumpster diving for their food, all of them ready to pound me with rotten cauliflower for being such a wasteful consumer.  I met the freegan having already judged everything about her.  It was literally prejudice.

Illinois State's first Human Library in September 2014. (Photo by ISU)

Illinois State's first Human Library in September 2014. (Photo by ISU)

Of course I was not only wrong about her, but also about Freeganism.  She was a lot of fun to talk to, had some terrific ideas and didn’t once threaten me with any vegetables.  As with all fear in life, mine was based on prejudice and ignorance.  The Human Library gave me a chance to meet her, talk with her, and gain a better understanding of her.

And I did feel like I got to know her as a person.  After just a brief dialogue, I could accept that this intelligent person sincerely believed what she told me, and that her own life experience brought her to these choices.  And as the topic came to life through another human, freegans just weren’t as scary anymore. 

Don’t misunderstand, I did not become a freegan and she was not trying to somehow recruit me.  The Human Library is about education and understanding without being didactic.  In thirty minute sessions, participants (readers) meet with presenters (books) in a small group setting.  The topics vary, but after the book tells its story, the readers can ask questions which (hopefully) begins a constructive dialogue.  Readers receive a summary of all the available books and choose which topic to explore.

My own story centers on my malformed brain.  When I sit down as a book, and I have so far been a book in three Human Libraries, I always tell the readers that I am not there to inspire them nor to depress them.  I am a book in the Human Library because I want to give anyone the chance to speak with someone who has been through brain surgery, strokes, physical therapy, disability and depression.  I ask for neither pity nor empathy, but once I tell the story I do ask that the readers indulge their curiosity.

At the age of 24 I was diagnosed with an Arnold-Chiari malformation in my cerebellum.  I was having problems breathing, hearing, and even walking.  I underwent necessary brain surgery at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.  After several months of full recovery, my symptoms slowly returned until, after several small strokes, I retired due to disability at the age of 32. 

In the midst of those years when my symptoms resurfaced, I became depressed to the point of even creating a plan for suicide.  My chronic pain and increasing inability to function at the level of my own expectations became overwhelming.  But I got help from a combination of counseling and anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medication.  So even as my physical symptoms continued to decline, my emotional health strengthened.  I was grateful to learn how to accept the reality of my ever-changing life even as I had to learn to use a cane (and occasionally a walker) just to get around my house.

When I was 38, I unexpectedly started to be able to walk again without having to use a cane or walker.  At 40 I had returned to working full-time at a university.  How I slowly regained enough of my health to return to work remains unknown.

And that’s it.  Sitting around a table with about seven or eight readers, I tell that story but in more detail of course.  We only get about thirty minutes together, so I spend about fifteen minutes detailing my story, leaving another fifteen minutes for questions.  I always tell my readers they can ask absolutely anything they want.  And, boy howdy, do they ever ask the most amazing questions. 

Allow me to illustrate.  My first time as a book in a Human Library, I expected people to ask about big-issue ideas:  What does it all mean?  What have you learned about Life?  What are you going to do now?  While these were similar questions to what I had asked during my years in counseling, I still did not have any clear answers.  Nevertheless,   felt very strongly that these would be the ones put to me.

So after telling my story that first time, I looked around the table at the handful of readers, their hands already raised for questions.  What would I say when they asked?  Why do they expect me to know the answer to life’s questions?  Just who do they think they are anyway?  And who is it they think I am?

I pointed at one person and waited, listening. 

Verbatim, without exaggerating, the reader asked, “You must have had a catheter during brain surgery.  What did that feel like?”  I didn’t speak for a few seconds.  My expectations had been so thwarted, I not only had to replay the question in my mind but I also had to ask him to repeat it, which he eagerly did, “What was it like to have a catheter?”

The other readers were nodding, approving of the question and waiting for my response.  They were sincere too, not any hint of sarcasm. 

I still had to clarify.  After surgery I had several IVs and tubes and wires connected to me.  So I asked, “You mean the urinary catheter?  What did that feel like?”

“Yes.  That must’ve been strange.”

Hesitantly, I answered, “Uh…well, actually it wasn’t too bad, until the nurse yanked it out.  That hurt.”  In unison, every reader at my table cringed.

From there we had a brilliant discussion, even touching on those life issues.  The spirit of the Human Library is best expressed by allowing an open dialogue.  In my case, having a urinary catheter was entirely unknown to them, so of course that’s what they asked.  I had encouraged it, after all. 

That question is emblematic of exactly what the Human Library can be for us.  Yes, it was a little embarrassing for me to answer, but it must’ve been strange for him to ask it too.  I credit the readers, the ones asking questions, as the real champions of this program.  They step outside of their comfort zone, if only for a brief time, hoping to learn something unexpected.

I had unexpectedly learned from a freegan.  Consider what one might learn from other books including an anarchist; a Muslim; an immigrant; a parent who adopted multi-racial children; a rape survivor; a recovering drug addict; a person living with AIDS.  If the Human Library creates an environment wherein readers can ask a man with a malformed brain what it felt like to have a post-surgical catheter, imagine what one could ask of others.

Illinois State University conducted its latest session of the Human Library Wednesday at Bone Student Center

ISU Seeking 'Books' for Human Library

Illinois State University is seeking individuals who can speak volumes at a Sept. 23 "Human Library" program at the Bone Student Center.

The Human Library is an innovative method designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices, and encourage understanding. The main characteristics of the project are to be found in its simplicity and positive approach.

The Human Library works functions like a normal library: Readers borrow a volunteer human "Book" for a limited period of time, and the Books and readers enter into a personal dialogue. The Books in the Human Library are people representing groups frequently confronted with prejudices and stereotypes, and often are victims of discrimination or social exclusion.

"In the Human Library, Books cannot only speak, but they are able to reply to the readers’ questions and can ask questions themselves,” according to the Human Library Organizers Guide.

ISU students enrolled in LinC Seminar, Success 101, and Transfer Student Seminar courses will be Readers of the Human Library Books. Readers will check out a Human Book for a 30-minute group conversation.

For more information visit: www.UCollege.IllinoisState.edu/HumanLibrary, email HumanLibrary@IllinoisState.edu, or for special accommodations to participate in this event, call 309-438-2599.

Emily: Using Your Library Voices

Emily Vigneri

On September 16, 2014, Illinois State University held its first-ever Human Library. If you’re not familiar with the term “Human Library” (and don’t worry, you’re not alone!), it was started in Denmark in 2000 by a youth organization called “Stop the Violence.”

Members of “Stop the Violence” were looking for a way to encourage conversation among individuals who are different from one another. To do that, they decided to provide a safe, non-threatening way for individuals to engage in meaningful conversations with one another about stories that are different from their own.  

These stories are typically in relation to some prejudice, hardship, or discrimination that the storyteller, known as a Book, tells to listeners (known as Readers) in an effort for to challenge preconceived notions, biases, or prejudices that the Readers may hold themselves. The Readers are permitted to ask questions of the Books, something that many of us find hard to do in everyday life, especially when our questions pertain to extremely personal or perhaps difficult experiences in someone’s life.

Due to the widespread success of this initiative, Wendi Whitman, an Associate Director in University College at Illinois State, heard the idea at an American Democracy Project conference and brought the concept back to campus. A committee of individuals from different areas of campus was formed to organize the event, and I was fortunately selected to work on securing Books.   

For several months, the committee worked to set up an online registration system for the event, secure facilities, and recruit/train Books and Librarians. Librarians were students asked to help keep the Books feeling safe and intervene should any of the Readers’ questions or actions become hostile. We were hopeful that this would not happen (and it did not), but since we were asking students to challenge their prejudices about various groups, we wanted to ensure that were doing all that we could for our Books. We also led training sessions for Readers (students enrolled in a first-year seminar); we asked them to be respectful of all Books and encouraged them to ask good questions, as the Books were there to help the Readers learn. 

On the day of the event, we welcomed 459 first-year students to the Bone Student Center where they listened to 33 Books covering topics such as suicide, bullying, LGBTQ issues, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, and more. Our evaluation results from the event were astounding – 100 percent of Books who completed an evaluation would encourage others to participate; many of our Books commented on how cathartic and therapeutic it felt to share their stories. Of the 306 student evaluations we received, 99 percent of students would recommend participating in the Human Library to other students, and 97 percent believed there was a respectful environment during the Human Library. Due to the success of our event, we are very excited to hold our next Human Library on September 23, 2015! 

For more information about the event or to participate as a volunteer or Book, e-mail HumanLibrary@IllinoisState.edu.

               

Heartland Seeking Living 'Books' for March 24-25 Event

Most of us think we have a pretty good read on people. Heartland Community College is offering an opportunity for students to browse some fascinating new "Books" that beg to be explored beyond their covers.

Heartland's Human Library is a March 24-25 event that will offer a number of human "Books" for student checkout. The Books are people with experiences and beliefs outside the mainstream, including a "Queer Activist," a "Freegan," and a "Unitarian Universalist."

The Student and Book engage in a 20-minute conversation in what Heartland's Rachelle Stivers terms a "non-confrontational" environment. The idea is to encourage tolerance through open, one-on-one dialogue. Heartland is seeking additional volunteer Books for its "collection" -- visit heartland.libguides.com/humanlibrary for information.

"Anything that encourages thoughtfulness and tolerance in these rather divisive times is important," Stivers maintains. "The project also works well with one of the college’s 'Essential Competencies': Diversity (the other are Communication, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving).

"ISU ran this same program for their First Year Experience students this fall, and it was very popular.  Our event is also limited to students, but if there is interest we will reassess that for future events."

The Human Library is an international initiative that began in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a youth organization called "Stop The Violence." The movement was initiatied by five friends after another was stabbed in 1993. New "libraries" recently were launched in The Philippines and Belarus.