The Concept Of Human Library Bought To The City

  Feel like talking to somebody or sharing your thoughts, now run to the human library in the city. A trust in Dakshina Kannada is all set to make a human library, an international movement started in Copenhagen in 2000, that is now popular in the coastal district

  The movement is an attempt to address people’s prejudices, by helping them to talk to others, rather than reading books. Jana Shikshana Trust pioneers in swachata (cleanliness) awareness and literacy campaigns, along with Apnadesh Balaga and others have already launched the first reading session of the human library in Mudipu village on Friday. 

  Trust director Krishna Moolya told that many colleges in Mangaluru are eager to launch the concept that lends people rather than books. School of Social work, Roshni Nilaya in the city, has contacted us and expressed their willingness to adopt the concept of the human library. They have plans to hold human library sessions in each ward of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC). “Similarly, a resource person from Canara College in the city has also shown interest in the human library concept. Many organisations in villages too have contacted us to start a human library in their locality,” he said. 

  “We are holding human libraries at the local level, by following the concept introduced at the international level in Copenhagen. Nowadays, people read books but do not read humans. The essence of a human library is to read human beings, rather than reading books. Each individual is a book. Hence, narrating their experience in the human library will inspire other participants at the human library. People who have prejudices may express their feelings and also listen to others, to reduce the gap in the human relationship. Laying the foundation for a value-based society is the main aim of the concept,” he added.

  All categories of people, including senior citizens, the working class and the young generation and children, may participate in the human library.

  Another director of the trust, Sheena Shetty, said the meaningful discussions in the human library help participants to learn about life. “The concept of a human library is popular in 80 countries across the world, and it is being held in Delhi and a few other cities in India. Looking at society from a wide perspective is a speciality of the concept, and it helps in bringing social harmony.”