Our library is alive! (Quite literally)

There was an excellent article in the Globe and Mail today regarding an experiment at several academic libraries.  Patrons can take out a “living book” — essentially a fellow student or community member with a unique (and often controversial) life perspective and during the checkout period they are able to ask the subject tough questions and learn more intimately about the diverse tapestry of the university community.

The University of Guelph’s McLaughlin Library was highlighted in the article.  Their program of living books included a variety of sexual minorities, a feminist, members of racial minorities, a Sinhalese survivor of Sri Lanka’s civil war and a woman who was a pro-life supporter.

According to Ronni Abergel, the Danish originator of the concept, “The whole idea is to sit down with real people and use them to move past a stereotype you might have… The living library works on the principle that extreme violence and aggression happens between people who don’t know each other.”  Although a look at recent history might put a damper on one’s optimism at this program contributing to world peace (the victims and perpetrators of recent violence in Nigeria, Egypt, India and Rwanda were often neighbours) I still believe that this type of program can be a good way of building community and understanding across campus and society.
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My one fear about such a program though is the danger of selection bias.  What is true for books should also be true for living books.  A collection where “books” on certain lifestyles predominate due simply to the whim of the selectors at the expense of others, seems to violate a key principle of library science.  Why not also focus on a subject much more important to world understanding such as religion (by having a practicing Mormon, a Pentecostal, a Sunni Muslim and a Hindu student discuss their beliefs and practices?), or alternatively various political perspectives (conservative, libertarian, socialist), and alternative life paths (a mature student, a single parent, someone who has spent part of their adulthood living abroad, a recent immigrant).   By designing this living library more like a standard collection of books there is better hope for balance in diversity.

For more information please also visit the Living Library website: living-library.org