Human Library returned to Utah State University on Sept. 16 in the Merrill-Cazier Library in Logan.
Anne Hedrich, a librarian at USU, explained Human Library visitors check out a living person and have a conversation with them about a topic in question. It is like reading a book but instead of reading, you get to have a face-to-face conversation with someone.
“The human library is a different kind of a library,” Hedrich said. “It is a chance for people to sit down and have a conversation because in a human library the books are people.”
Hedrich said being able to have a face-to-face conversation with someone is a great chance to learn about their unique circumstances and address taboo topics that would otherwise not be socially acceptable to address.
“The idea of the human library is we are trying to support diversity and to help people understand each other better to increase understanding,” Hedrich said.
She said the concept of a Human Library is not unique to Logan, it is a worldwide event that has been around since 2000.
“It started in Denmark at a festival,” she said. “They were trying to lessen prejudices and intolerance. They thought if people sat down and talked with each other that it would be a good way to do that.”
The idea spread over the last 15 years and has reached 70 countries.