The Human Library coming to Glenn Massay Theater to offer engagement, shared experiences

Ever wondered about the story behind the person next to you? What their “story” is? Everyone has a story as unique as people are, and have a story waiting to be discovered.

On Thursday, the Glenn Massay Theater at Mat-Su College will be hosting a much different “book” experience than the typical book fair or library book sale, as it opens its doors to the Human Library.

The Human Library is a unique initiative where individuals share their personal experiences by becoming “books.” Instead of checking out written books, visitors to the Human Library engage in meaningful conversations with other people, where they often discover we have more in common with each other than we think. At The Human Library, all questions are welcome, and the "Books" are eager to share their experiences and stories with curious visitors.

The project began in 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark as a learning platform, hosting personal conversations designed to challenge stigma and stereotypes by creating a safe space for dialogue where topics are discussed openly between human “books” and their readers.

The organization host events virtually and in libraries, museums, festivals, conferences, schools, universities and for the private sector all around the world in over 85 countries.

The project states that all of the human books are volunteers with personal experience with their topic, and that they are always looking for other volunteers willing and able to share their experiences and engage with members of the local community.

“We host events where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations they would not normally have access to. Every human book from our bookshelf, represent a group in our society that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin etc.”

This event is being hosted by the Mat-Su College, the Human Library, and R.O.C.K Mat Su, and will run from 5:00 pm- 8:00 pm on Thursday, October 5 at the Glenn Massay Theater, 8295 East College Drive in Palmer. It is free to the public.