THE HUMAN LIBRARY

(Source: Google Wikipedia)

INTRODUCTION.

The Human Library is, in the true sense of the word, a library of people. We host events where readers can borrow human.

The origin of the Human Library was in Copenhagen, Denmark in the spring of 2000. The Human Library of “Menneskebiblioteket” as it is called in Danish was created by Ronni Abergel and his brother Dany and colleagues Asma Mouna and Christoffer Erichsen.

The first permanent Human Library was established in Lismore, Australia in 2006. Till today, the project has grown to have partners in more than 70 countries across the world.

METHOD AND PROCEDURE.

A Human Library consists of “books” that are human. Each of these books volunteer to take part in the library and share their story. Like a regular library, the Human Library has a book jacket and description, and a “reader” can check out “books” on a topic that he/she they may interested in learning more about.

The Human Library has an event where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations they would not normally access to.

The Human Book is a book with us is a person that volunteered to represent a stigmatized group in the community and based on their personal experiences can answer questions from readers to help challenge what is being said/told understood about a given topic.

The Human Library Reader is a person who chooses to hear stories of identity-based discrimination and/or prejudice as told from the people who experienced them. The people who tell their stories called the “books”, and the people who listen and question are called “readers”.

CONCLUSION.

As a member in the school community of Nop Elementary School, no doubt, the outstanding concept of the human library is very effective in every school setting, where the learners really need all forms of support from both the internal and external stakeholders in order to improve and continuously develop their literacy skills, academic performance and psychosocial awareness. As an African proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child”.

APPLICATION.

Based on the above findings about the Human Library concept, we decided in Nop Elementary School to adopt such idea and best practice in Human Library to be able to integrate in the implementation of our School Learning Resource Center (SLRC) in a form of localize/indigenous approach that fit naturally the type of learners that we have.

This is the school action/implementation plan for the Human Library of Nop Elementary School

Signatories