Opening Minds, One Conversation at a Time: The Human Library Arrives in Kokomo
Join Indiana University Kokomo and The Human Library, to experience the story of humanity come to life.
From 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, the public is invited to IU Kokomo’s library for a unique opportunity to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
Photo Provided | The Human Library Central Indiana
Unlike a normal library, the books are real people with unique life experiences.
“People check out books for all sorts of reasons, it might be for validation, it might be for curiosity, who knows,” said Peggy Lewis, The Human Library depot manager for central Indiana.
Here’s how it works: at a Human Library event, there are books with titles based on the unique life experiences of a diverse group of people.
Once you, the reader, find a book of interest, you sit down in the library with the person who has volunteered to share their story with you. After they give a short introduction, a 30-minute timer begins your conversation.
Depending on the event and which books volunteer to share their stories, you can have the chance to speak to people with real experiences in being survivors of suicide, people with various sexual identifications, people who have experienced child abuse, those who struggle with mental or physical health conditions and more.
Photo Provided | The Human Library Central Indiana
“The questions asked will be different based on the reasoning the reader chose the book, it’s your conversation,” said Lewis.
“We’re taught from the time we’re very little to not ask those difficult questions. This event gives you the practice of asking questions in a curious but respectful way. I think most people are interested in talking to anybody interested in them.”
During this two-hour event, you will have the opportunity to unjudge someone by asking questions, learning a new way of seeing something and talking to someone you normally would not have the opportunity to meet otherwise.
Once the time limit is up, you can move on to another book or complete your visit, but The Human Library hopes that once the event is over, there will still be something to take home with you. Whether that’s a new perspective or empathy for another person, it all makes a difference.
Learn more about The Human Library here and the event at IU-Kokomo here.