Happy reading with human libraries

When the pressures of the future threaten us, we need the reassurance of the past. I often find myself talking to my parents, older relatives and friends when the currents of mainstream life get too strong. More often than not, these conversations bring the distant shores a little closer.

I’ve come to realise that people are not ordinary. The longer they tread in the journey of life, the more interesting, significant and extraordinary they become. The wisdom that is born from reliving and sharing these experiences is the most valuable gift one human being can give to another.

Thus the concept of a human library was born.

In the human library, instead of books, actual people are on loan to readers for a personal conversation. Reading another human is walking in someone else’s shoes, an exercise in empathy and cognizance. The Human Library is an international organization and movement that first started in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2000. Its objective was to mitigate people's biases against each other by helping them connect with those they would not normally come in contact with.

The ‘books’ in this unique library are people whose experiences can be ‘borrowed’ by ‘Readers’ to gain perspectives, thoughts and insights. The purpose is simple and intuitive; heart-to-heart conversations will allow a special engagement of sharing, reasoning and reflection that can either radically shift perceptions and/or truly connect you to another human being. Just like when you read, reading a person can take you away from your home. It might also help you make a home in a new terrain. Now there are human libraries all across the globe.

India and Africa have a rich heritage of storytelling, of passing down stories and beliefs from older adults to youngsters. In traditional Chinese culture, the young through middle-aged receive little attention on their birthdays. Families celebrate birthdays starting at age 60 where one is treated like a treasured gem replete with the wealth of wisdom. The Bible is brimming with references of valuing the acumen and experience of older adults.

Conversations are key to understanding. Find a loved one, an elderly friend, a relative or borrow a ‘book’ from the human library near you. We are mirrors of one another and there is so much we can learn from the lives of others.