Human Library

PEOPLE ON LOAN @ THE HUMAN LIBRARY

Thanks to funding from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation we’ve been able to continue delivering Human Library events for the past year.

During 2018, the Human Library has made  appearances at the Lord Mayor’s Rural and Seaside Show in Southsea, the Hullabaloo Festival on the Isle of Wight, and the Hampshire Festival of the Mind keynote event at Portsmouth Cathedral.

In 2017, we organised another Human Library training session in Portsmouth and delivered Human Library events at the University of Southampton, Queen Alexandra Hospital, the IDEAs Conference at Fort Nelson and World Mental Health Day at the Friendship Centre in Portsmouth.


The Human Library is an innovative method designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices and encourage understanding. The main characteristics of the project are to be found in its simplicity and positive approach.

In its initial form the Human Library is a mobile library where visitors are given the opportunity to speak informally with ‘people on loan’; this latter group being extremely varied in age, sex and cultural background.

The Human Library enables groups to break down stereotypes by challenging the most common prejudices in a positive and humorous manner. it is a concrete, easily transferable and affordable way of promoting tolerance and understanding.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW IT ALL STARTED?

The Human Library is an international equalities movement which promotes positive social change in over 60 countries.

At a Human Library ‘Books’ are people, and reading is a conversation.

Human Books are volunteers who share personal experience to challenge prejudice, stigma and discrimination.

Click here to find out more


Click here to hear Tales from the Human Library – recordings from local radio Express FM

Here is a list of previous Human Library events in Hampshire

In 2016

In 2015

In 2014

In 2013

Here are some of the titles chosen by our Human Books:

AgeismIMGP3585

Anorexia

Agoraphobia

Bi-polar disorder

Borderline Personality DisorderSoton Uni 3

Breast cancer

Bullied at Work

Coping with Retirement

Depression and  anxiety

Ex-prostituteSt.Marys Fayre

Fibromyalgia

From Rehab to Peer Mentor

Gay single parent

Hearing Loss

Lesbian

Living with Hepatitis CApril 2014 small

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Paranoid Schizophrenia

Post Natal Depression

Recovering addict

Transgender syndrome

The News Community View March 2013

The News Community View March 2013

Come and support us – take out a human Book and help beat stigma and discrimination, one conversation at a time.

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE HUMAN LIBRARY AS A VOLUNTEER?

If you’d like to get more involved in the project, as a Human Book or a Helper, you can come along to one of our public events, or send an email for more details.