Human Library Where You Can 'Borrow' HUMANS

A man 'reading' ab out Buddhist from a monk in human library

Gone are the days of rummaging through card catalogues and dusty shelves. A new library in Surrey, B.C., will be home to a "human library," with people on loan as living books. The $36-million Surrey City Centre library, set to open at the end of the month, will allow users to "check out" people and pick their brains about their experiences with blindness, immigration, religion or a disability, among other things. The goal is to break down stereotypes and start discussions, said deputy chief librarian Melanie Houlden.


"What we're aiming to do is bring the library to life for people. There are huge repositories of experience and knowledge in their own brains," she said.

People with various personal experiences have already agreed to volunteer, she said. Users will be able to request an "expert" and chat over a cup of coffee in the library's new cafe. The idea began in Europe and has already been successfully applied at another library in nearby Coquitlam, B.C., and a local college, she said.

More about human library at http://humanlibrary.org/