Lecture Notes on Library Advocacy, Exhibition Spaces in Libraries, and Human Libraries

Part II: Takeaways from PLAI 2018:“Connected Actions, Collective Vision: Libraries Transforming Society”

1. Lecture Title: “Your Voice Counts: Libraries for Supporting Community Advocacy”

- Bibliotherapy – one way to support the community
 Donate books for the waiting areas of hospitals, especially public hospitals
 Storytelling for hospital wards
 Support digital inclusion – provide free access to some literary materials for the less fortunate


2. Lecture Title: “Creating Experiences in Spaces: Exhibitions to Spark and Stoke Interest in the Visual, Auditory, and Print story of Filipinos”

- Speaker M. Bugnosen is the librarian at the Filipinas Heritage Library (Ayala Museum)
- Suggested Library Exhibits/Designs

 The Secret Life of Books – art exhibit on book binding/book making, demonstrations, lectures, workshops
 Revolutions Exhibit – uniforms of old soldiers
 Film exhibits – digital screens show different scenes/short movies
 Film screening
 Poetry reading
 Concerts – cello, local musicians, guitar/acoustic

3. Lecture Title: “Reading Beyond Books: Exploring Human Libraries”

- De La Salle University librarians and organizers recount their experiences with the “Human Library” project they set-up with the international organization The Human Library http://humanlibrary.org/
- Events in various countries are set up and listed at https://www.facebook.com/humanlibraryorg/
- Event application form is at http://humanlibrary.org/human-library-organizers-event-application-form/

- What is a human library?

 A person rather than a book is being “read” by another person
 Basically a Q&A, monitored by a marshall who ensures the human book’s safety and security
 The library is transformed into a safe place for discussion and “reading”
 The goal is to un-judge someone
 There may be more than one book available per session, depending on the availability of marshalls and organizers

- Who qualifies as a human book?

 Someone who is a victim of unfair judgment, who might have been misunderstood by society, who wants his/her voice to be heard

- Planning for the Human Library project:
 Come up with project description/rationale
 Target audience?
 Learning outcome?
 Budget? Source of funds?
 Project flow?
 Collaborating agencies
 Limitations? How ‘free’ is free speech?
 Should there be pre-determined “chapters” that the book can talk about?