The Living Library

Abstract

In 2018, a team of University of Michigan Librarians and staff will be developing a Living Library project. A Living Library is a program where members of the University community can be “checked out”, much like books at a conventional library. The goal is to foster conversations, empathy and learning among diverse members of our community (humanlibrary.org). Trough this project, the Library Scholar reached out to the University’s international student and scholar community to explain the project and recruit participants. The student developed an outreach plan, prepared promotional material and reached out to potential participants. Through this internship, the Library Scholar was able to encourages understanding and compassion as well as strengthen and heighten her senses of empathy, storytelling and human dignity.