Human Library of Penang
"Step into someone’s story. Experience the Human Library of Penang”
Human Library of Penang
What is a Human Library?
A Human Library is an event that aims to create dialogue and understanding between people. Individuals volunteer as “Human Books” and participants in the event can ‘read’ the book- meaning they would have a one on one conversation with the volunteer and share in a dialogue about that individual’s experience.
‘Human Books’ are volunteers from all walks of life who have experienced discrimination based on race, religion, sexual preference, class, gender identity, sex, age, lifestyle choices, disability and other aspects of their life. The Human Library provides the opportunity for the community to share and understand the experiences of others in their community.
The libraries are bringing people who would otherwise never interact together in a way that many communities long for. It's time to face our fears and confront our stereotypes. To embrace the diversity of this world will allow us to feel more secure in it.
There are a lot of things the Penangnites can gain from this event. Participants, both volunteers and the public, can gain the understanding that dialogue between people can work to break the barriers that separate us. Additionally, participants will walk away with the mutual understanding of being human beyond a single identity. Our “Human Books” cherish the experience to share their narrative with others and forge new connections.
"When you meet our books, no matter who you are and where you are from or which book you will be reading, in the end, inside every person, the result will say: we are different from each other, we see things differently and we live life differently. But there are more things that we have in more common than are keeping us apart." Truth. If there's one immediately impactful way to bring communities together, a Human Library might just be it.
Our Background
How We Got Our Start
The Human Library is an international movement that started in Denmark in the year 2000 and has since made its way through over 70 countries. The Human Library or “Menneskebiblioteket” as it is called in Danish, was developed in Copenhagen in the spring of 2000 as a project for Roskilde Festival by Ronni Abergel and his brother Dany and colleagues Asma Mouna and Christoffer Erichsen.
The original event was open eight hours a day for four days straight and featured over fifty different titles. The broad selection of books provided readers with ample choice to challenge their stereotypes and, so they did. More than a thousand readers took advantage leaving books, librarians, organisers and readers stunned at the impact of the Human Library.