Tired of e-books? Why not try a he-book or she-book at the library?
Never judge a book by its cover. That’s even harder to do when the book you’re reading is a human.
The Human Library arrived at the Vancouver Public Library this past weekend and will be in place until Feb. 7.
The project is a part of the 2016 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, and allows library patrons to “check out” a human book for a 20-minute face-to-face chat.
“This is the fourth year we’ve done this project, so it’s amazing how much of a continued response we get,” project co-ordinator Dave Deveau said. “Anyone who’s been to the project in the past — they keep coming back.”
The first Human Library is believed to have started in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a way to combat stereotypes. Human libraries have been hosted in 70 countries.
Among the 30 human books available at the VPL this year: a Drag King and an eight-year-old inventor.
“I think this project and the response to it speaks to the fact that people in the city want to talk to each other but don’t have the appropriate mechanism to do so,” Deveau said.
“It’s about really creating a dynamic connection between two people for 20 minutes.”
Those interested in the Human Library can head to the VPL’s central branch Jan. 30 and 31 or Feb. 6 and 7, from noon to 4 p.m. and check in at the PuSh Festival circulation desk. Library patrons will be issued a human library card, good for access to one of the 30 human books.
Each 20-minute session consists of a 10-minute prepared speech and a 10-minute question-and-answer period. Deveau said some books may even ask the reader questions.
The Human Library is free and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Due to popularity and high demand, visitors are advised to arrive about an hour before they expect to “read” their title. Checkout bookings begin at 11:45 a.m.