Human Book – turning the lives of people into interesting stories through public libraries.

Authors

  • J Kalliani State Central LIbrary, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Jane Bakker

Keywords:

Human Library, Human Book, Human Space, Digital Space, Digital Humans, Public Libraries, Web Technologies, Knowedge Mangaement, Biblio Therapy, Unesco.

Abstract

The human library is the latest entrant in knowledge transference. It is a space where human beings - instead of paper - hold content and are loaned to users. 

The human library is a new entry into the types of libraries we are familiar with. It is a place where human being instead of paper hold content and are on loan to readers. A human library is a library, where one can borrow human books (real people) with a specified time limited session as per the guidelines of the library. Instead of content in paper or audio files here content is in humans. The readers can have a healthy face-to-face conversation with their human book. Readers ask any question related to content and clear doubts. Human books provide instantly customised information to the clientele in an interactive mod. Such interactions are more meaningful when readers listen to human books, ask queries, get answers, laugh with them, cry with them feel about their situations and experiences, etc. This paper defines human library, human book, and human space in comparison with traditional space where we keep content, and the benefits of human books to different types of users. Author opines that the public libraries must come forward to support the initiative and accommodate the human library concept. The paper is an attempt to sensitise the public libraries about the possibilities of human library

Keywords: Human Library, Human Book, Human Space, Digital Space, Digital Humans, Public Libraries, Web Technologies, Knowedge Mangaement, Biblio Therapy, Unesco.

Author Biographies

  • J Kalliani, State Central LIbrary, Thiruvananthapuram

    Kalliani J  did her post graduations in Genetics and Plant Breeding as well as in Library and Information Science from University of Kerala.  She joined service at State Planning Board, Government of Kerala. Presently she is in the State Central Library Kerala (Trivandrum Public Library) and is looking after the selection, classification and cataloguing of  the knowledge resources. She has written a few papers on Information Science in International journals. Contributed book chapters and is reviewer in area of her specialization. She had in her local groups experimented herself as a human book also.  Her areas of interest are Environmental Conservation, Information Systems, Information retrieval methods and techniques. She loves trees, reading and cooking.

  • Jane Bakker
    Jane Bakker completed bachelors programme in Media Culture from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University in Maastricht, Netherlands, Writes articles on health, sports and culture in local  magazines. Hobbies are hockey, reading and travel. Uses different pen names for stories and subject writings. Hobbies reciting stories, training children for acting children’s plays in local community centres. Has published a few articles in different subjects.

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Published

2023-02-09

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2023): Human Books and Digital Humans

Section

Articles

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