Human Library Spring 2025

What is my role as a book?

In a Human Library, the books are real people with real stories to tell. If you are a Book, Readers (attendees) will sit down with you during the Human Library event to listen and learn from you and may ask questions.

As a Book, you will give your story a title. Your title should be simple, such as "Amputee" or "Jewish." Once the Readers get to know you in your conversation with them at the event, they should start to see you are more than just that single title but rather have many intersectional identities.

Readers will pick out a title and then meet with their Book.  Books have 20 -25 minutes to tell their story and talk with the Readers, with up to 1 - 4 readers listening at a time. (Books get a 15-minute break after). Conversations between volunteers and attendees usually flow naturally.  We can provide “starter questions”  to serve as icebreakers, in case people need some help figuring out what to say.  Just be yourself - that will help to relax you and to relax the person you’re talking with.

Source: McDaniel College. (2024).Human Library libguide. https://lib.hoover.mcdaniel.edu/human-library

The Readers can talk to one or several different books if they choose. The event's purpose is to bring people together who may have never talked otherwise. The Readers will listen to a Book's story, ask questions, and chat for approximately 20 -25 minutes.

Maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for you to share your story is our top priority. When people (readers) check into the event, they must read and sign a statement agreeing to adhere to the behavioral guidelines in order to participate.

When you initially volunteer, you will be asked to create a "title" for yourself and that will be used throughout the event. Your name will never be used at the event or in any public documentation or be given out to anyone. You are in control of who knows your name and any other personal details you wish to share with Readers and the media.

A space separate from where the conversations will be happening will be provided for Books. You can use this space to relax, enjoy refreshments/lunch, and take a break to collect yourself if needed. 

A moderator will be walking around the room to help monitor conversations. Human Books will be provided with a method of subtly signaling that a moderator needs to end the conversation or that they need to take an unscheduled break. 

Since this is a volunteer position, there is no financial compensation. We provide light refreshments for all event attendees and lunch and a t-shirt for our human Books and event volunteers on the day of the event. 

While everyone’s experiences are different, past volunteers at events in other locations have expressed a sense of camaraderie, validation, and pride that comes from meeting fellow volunteers and sharing their stories. They also find connections in unexpected places--through Readers (attendees) who enjoy sharing their stories as much as our volunteers. Also through finding that there is more acceptance and knowledge after the interaction, and through the mutual understanding of being human beyond a single identity.

All Human Books must attend one (1) virtual training session from the Human Library organization before participating in the event (approximately 60-90 minutes, self-paced). You must fill out the Human Book Volunteer Application Form to become a Book and attend the training session. Information about the training sessions will be provided after you have completed your Volunteer form and have spoken with someone from Burritt Library's Human Library planning committee. Human Books can also attend a quick orientation before the event to orient you to the space, answer any last-minute questions, etc.

Once you have completed and submitted the Book Volunteer Application Form, a member of our Human Library planning committee will reach out to you via phone or email to set up an interview. This interview can be done in any format that works best for you, via phone, in person, or virtually. There is no need to stress about the interview! It is not a test for you but rather a chance for us to hear more about your story, to make sure you can commit to the event and its behavioral guidelines, and to give you a chance to ask questions and what works best for you for the training session. Everything is kept confidential.