Living Library Lands in Santa Monica, Seattle
By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 10/27/2008
Care to check out a Buddhist, a celebrity publicist, or a nudist? Patrons of the Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) had the chance to do just that as part of the Living Library, an innovative European-based project designed to promote dialogue and combat stereotypes.
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Living Library at Santa Monica Public Library. |
Response to the event was “overwhelming,” organizers said, noting that all “the Living Books” were sold out in 30 minutes and drew international news coverage.
SMPL produced a tongue-in-cheek warning aimed to reinforce good behavior: “The Reader must return the Book in the same mental and physical condition as borrowed. It is forbidden to cause damage to the book, tear out or bend pages, get food or drink spilled over the book or hurt her or his dignity in any other way. The Reader is responsible for preserving the condition of the Book.”
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Ronni Abergel, Living Library founder. |
Why has it taken so long to catch on in America? Because even though it’s relatively inexpensive, it does cost money to host and organize. “And it’s not easy finding this money and finding the time and volunteers to reach out across the globe,” Abergel told SLJ in June.”
In fact, the New York Public Library and the San Francisco Public Library had ignored his offer to host the Living Library in their space, Abergel said.
But that’s fine, because there’s plenty of interest in his project. SMPL says it plans to host another such event in April 2009.
On Saturday, the Bainbridge Island Library of the Kitsap Regional Library in Washington held a Living Library event, which drew a former gang member, a quadriplegic, a Muslim U.S. Marine veteran, an atheist, and an antiviolence activist as volunteer “books” to be checked out.
The Living Library is a perfect project for media centers too. “We have already done Living Libraries in schools, where students have pre-booked titles in advance and take them out in pairs or threes,” Abergel says. “It works great and has an enormous potential.”
The movement continues to spread throughout the world. Serbia and Spain recently introduced the Living Library concept; Slovenia and Scotland will follow in November and Japan, and Australia will launch in December.
