Sign a person out of the library

When most of us think about signing out a book at the library, we think of one with a cover.  But what about signing out a living book. McMaster library and the office of human rights and equity services held a ‘human library’ on Thursday. That’s when patrons can sign out an interesting person as their book. The pair then sit down and enjoy a 30 minute conversation. Thursday’s theme was breaking down stereotypes.

“I just want the freedom to be who God created me to be.”

As a reader of a living book, you hear Racquel Simpson tell a tale of not feeling adequate among different groups of friends, growing up: “I had to prove to my Canadian friends I’m just as Canadian as you — I had to prove to my francophone friends I can speak French just as well as you.”

Physical books are meant to inspire — compel you to think and make you feel things. Inside the McMaster Mills Library, many found out that living ones do as well.

“I had darker skin and that that wasn’t good and I could tell from the way they were approaching me that that wasn’t ok.”

Pearl Medonca remembers vividly the day she discovered she was different, she was six-years old and mocked while walking home from school. “I went home told my parents — I was crying. I was very upset.

Most of us are used to coming to the library and signing out a book with pages in it, but there is something unique about signing out a living book. And we are all one, because we all have a story to tell.

Sandy Tat is a reader: “Here, if I have a question or I really want to see further in, I can ask more and see genuine emotion and genuine experience from it.”

Jackson Virgin is a human book: “We get to meet people that we’d never meet before and learn all about their life.”

The people sharing their stories come from a range of backgrounds. Readers are able to explore diverse themes like sexuality, transgendred issues and racism.

Jackson says: “We’ve gone really deep in the conversation.”

And what do the living books want their readers to take away from their face to face experience?

Human book Kojo Damptey: “It’s important for people to go out of their shells and learn about things that they might not know about.”

It was a very compelling event, and there were never any dull moments. Organizers really hoped to spark conversations around stereotypes, get people to interact and just find some common ground.