On the November 21, the Human Library drew Skyline College another step closer as a community as more than 20 participants — including staff, faculty, students and administrators — shared personal stories as part of an international movement to “unjudge.”
At Human Library sessions at Skyline College, “human books” are “loaned” to readers just as libraries loan physical books to library visitors. Continuing the theme, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” readers are encouraged to ask questions freely for honest answers in return, as books and readers sit down together to engage in conversations.
This month’s roster of human books was wonderfully varied, including The Accidental Activist: A Caterpillar’s Journey, Learning who you are by Learning who you are not, I Really Do See Things Differently, Being Global, Navigating Life’s Series of Firsts, and last but not least, An Akon Storya: Narratives of a Filipino Fulbright Scholar in the US.
Both readers and participants have continued to report back powerful and positive experiences of their time together. For one reader in particular, the impact was especially heartfelt: “I get inspired by the stories; they create new perspectives! [Through stories, we] interpret the meaning of life. I feel like Human Library is a way to give people hope.”
Visit the Human Library photo gallery on Facebook and mark your calendars for our next session on Tuesday, March 10, 2020! Questions? Contact Pia Walawalkar at walawalkars@smccd.edu.
Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp | Photo by Marisa Thigpen
