Until I visited the Thai Knowledge Park in Bangkok, I had never heard the phrase “living library”, and yet these instutions flourish all over the world. What are they? And where did this idea come from?
From teenagers in Denmark! When stabbings began to occur at rock concerts in that country, a group of teenagers took action. Realizing that hatred comes from prejudice and stereotypes, they began to confront this dual problem by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds between the ages of twelve and twenty-five, to meet in schools and other common arenas for brief conversations.
The idea spread. Libraries became preferred meeting grounds, where people could come and “check out” a book that was alive–a person whom they might otherwise never meet and with whom they could have a dialogue in a safe place.
Living Libraries have appeared at libraries around the world–Canada, England, Japan, Slovenia, Turkey, the U.S.–and of course Denmark! (The world’s first permanent Livng Library is in Lismore, Australia, where programs are presented every month.) They appear in small town libraries, as well as those in the world’s great cities. What links them is the courage and honesty of the participants–and the humor with which this program is presented.
“Borrow a person you normally would think you would not like…Just remember to give back the person within two hours,” a Danish Living Library card states, “You don’t even have to be able to read.”
“What’s your prejudice?” is the question posed on tshirts worn by Living Library “books”–we all have them. Unfortunately not all of us have a Living Library where we can meet our prejudices head-on and become aware of the people behind the stereotypes. At least not yet…but with luck and work, perhaps every library everywhere will have their own permanent Living Library.