Nominated for the LRC 2018 Exemplary Practice:
Library: MLS Librarians, Faculty, or Paraprofessionals who work in a library
The Human Library, Valencia College, West Campus Library
Nardia Cumberbatch, Jeannie Rodriguez, and Regina Seguin
The Valencia College, West Campus Library, has twice partnered with the Human Library Organization and our community to offer a Human Library event "designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialog" with volunteers who act as human books. A Human Library event allows the community to share their experiences and the students to gain understanding from a human experience that is different from theirs. Checking out a human book is an opportunity to converse with an individual in our community who has experienced the sting of prejudice, stigma, and marginalization. Books are on loan for 30 minutes during which a book shares their story and the reader asks questions so they can better understand the experiences of others in their community.
We held events in the library in May and November of 2017 and included human books that shared their experiences with depression, bullying, human trafficking, PTSD, sex addiction, drugs, and on being lesbian, transgender, Hispanic, female, a veteran, a black man, and not the angry black woman.
Mission
Valencia College’s mission is to provide opportunities for academic, technical and life-long learning in a collaborative culture dedicated to inquiry, results and excellence. The Human Library event allows students to gain an understanding of human experiences different from their own and adds inclusion and diversity to their education. This can enhance a student's quality of life outside of the classroom and provide concepts for lifelong learning. The opportunity for growth through a Human Library event provides a student with a personal connection to Valencia College, one of the college’s institutional priorities, which is central to the mission of student success.
Part of Valencia’s vision is to have a positive impact on the quality of life beyond the classroom and Human Library accomplishes this. Human Library provides an opportunity to build on the college’s strategic pillar of partnering with the community to help meet the college’s and the communities’ needs and goals. Human Library is part of the student learning that lays the foundation for AFC’s mission.
Student Learning
Human Library values inclusion and diversity, fosters understanding, and builds relationships that support student learning. As students learn to better understand themselves, it enables them to understand others. Human Library supports connections based learning by allowing students to question, connect, and collaborate with others. They become better citizens. As personal connections are made, students feel empowered to make a difference in the world. The opportunity for student inquiry is unmatched in creating access to human stories with social issues, providing students with knowledge that will serve them now and into the future.
Public Relations
Valencia strives to have a positive impact on the quality of life beyond the classroom. Human Library is a pathway to the community through enhanced programming and opportunity for the community to engage with our students. The connections to the community built through these events become a great public relations tool for the college that strengthens relationships within and between our communities. Momentum after the first event helped build interest for the second event.
Adaptability
The Human Library Organization has a framework for putting on an event that makes it easy to replicate at other institutions. The framework promotes positive dialogue for conversations where “difficult questions are expected, appreciated, and answered.” The West Campus has held two events and will hold more. Schools can adapt their own event by choosing to provide volunteer books that address the social issues important in their own communities. These events are cost-efficient, taking advantage of the library space and staff. Librarians and staff served in support roles needed for the event, similar to the roles they fill in their jobs at the library. Library staff also volunteered to provide snacks for the books’ break room and for students waiting to access the books. Books are volunteers from the community that freely give their time. Another adaptation available is a digital human library that could serve online students or a campus that is rural in location.
Support Materials
Included are marketing materials such as flyers, materials provided to the books asking them to craft their own book title, and instructions to students as readers to get the most out of their experience in checking out a book. Sample assessments and surveys of books and students are also included.
Assessment
Feedback from the volunteer books survey indicated that they felt sharing personal stories helped lessen prejudice in the community. Acting as a book was an opportunity to share, grow, and be understood as humans. Students asked interesting questions and the experience was positive. Other assessment included accessing student assignments that described their experiences in checking out books. It is clear that these events had an impact on the students and provided a unique learning experience beyond the classroom. From post-event student surveys, it was clear that the Human Library events did make a difference. One student’s feedback said, "it was the best half hour they spent all semester".
Originality
The choice to offer a Human Library event was a bold experiment. The West Campus library event was the first at Valencia College and one of the few ever offered in the central Florida area. The entire library staff was very creative and excited to offer something different that would be a new learning experience for our students. Library staff was very innovative in identifying diverse volunteer book partners to make the events interesting. The range of different human experiences and stories offered has allowed each event to be unique. We all have learned a great deal from each event and look forward to offering many more in the future.