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Human
Library to Debut in Dorchester
Dorchester,
MA – March 24, 2015 – On Saturday, April 18th from
10-2pm, the librarians at the Fields Corner Branch Library in Dorchester will
be encouraging patrons to check out and converse with living “Human Books”. The
eclectic collection will cover such topics as Living with a Disability,
Overcoming Homelessness, Jehovah’s Witness and Female with Aspergers, among
others.
The book titles are thought-provoking for a reason:
All represent people who have been stereotyped due
to issues of race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, gender identity, class,
religion, lifestyle choices or other aspects of who they are. Human Books are local
residents, workers and students who have volunteered to be “checked-out” for 15
minute “loan periods” during the four-hour event. Books will engage with
borrowers in one-on-one conversations about their experience, with questions
strongly encouraged.
“Fear promotes prejudice, tries to pretend it doesn’t
exist. The Human Library promotes curiosity, which can help to unlock our
shared humanity,” said organizer Lynn Holmgren of Write on the DOT. “Personal storytelling
and dialogue are powerful tools for peace and healing, but they’re often underutilized.”
The event is a collaborative effort between the UMass Boston MFA Program, Write
on the DOT community reading series and BPL Fields Corner.
The Human Library (humanlibrary.org) was created in
2000 by members of the Danish youth organization Stop the Violence and is now
operational in more than 60 countries. This will be the first Human Library
event to take place in Massachusetts, and the organizers hope its success will
inspire other communities in Boston and beyond to take part in this intentional,
community-building project.
CONTACT:
Lynn
Holmgren
(717)599-4320
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