Human library event is an event aim to create conversation and understanding between people and it is a library of people that host events where readers can borrow human being serving as open books and have dialogue that they will not typically have access to learn more and share experiences.
Attendees will listen to a Book and after hearing their story, will be able to engage in a meaningful exchange through queries and shared conversation.
SIMAD University is in a quest to introduce new events and innovations to the country, it was August 2017 and September 2018 when the event came in Somalia, and it was held at the main campus of SIMAD University.
First Human Library Event at Simad Dhoobaale Library
SIMAD University hosted the 1st ever Human library event in Mogadishu, Somalia on Saturday, August 05, 2017 at SIMAD University Main Campus. This is an event where readers of a library can ‘borrow’ human volunteers as a book rather than paper books on the library shelves.
These people are widely known as ‘Human Books’, and they voluntarily share their personal stories and experiences to readers to challenge community prejudices and discriminations.
The event was held at SIMAD University Main Campus and the event was attended by SU top management, Human-volunteer books, readers and other honorable members. The event was opened to students and the community at large.
Mr. Mohamud Mohamed Siad, Chief Librarian of SIMAD University Dhoobaale library, has briefed about the Human library and how this event was finally introduced to SIMAD University.
Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Nor, Acting Rector of SIMAD University officially opened the event and he remarked that the event is simply a way of knowing people who have had curious experiences and faced challenges, asking questions, and challenging prejudices.
More than 130 readers have got the opportunity to borrow and read 6 human books. Some of the book titles presented in the first human library event were:
- Living Veteran of Somali Political History (From law-and-order to chaos).
- A successful blind student holding Master’s degree.
- A new convert to Islam.
- Teaching as a foreigner in Somalia.
- Living in the Diaspora (Stories of clash cultures and shock).
- Talk to a successful entrepreneur within a turbulent market.
The aim of the event was to provide a safe comfortable setting for readers to have conversations that broaden the understanding of the people and our communities and break down the bad stereotypes of the community.
The second Human Library Event at Simad Dhoobaale library
SIMAD University has hosted the second human library event in Mogadishu on September 27, 2018. Human Library is an international event originated in Denmark in 2000 where it is intended to bring together a number of individuals from all walks of life to share their stories with the members of the community to avoid stereotypes and prejudices.
Director of SU Library Mohamud Mohamed Siad has briefed the purpose of the event and welcomed all the human books and the readers and also The deputy Rector for Institutional development Eng. Mohamed Mohamud together with the deputy rector for academics Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim has officially opened the forum.
What makes this library unique is that you can read and talk to human books and similarly they talk to you back, and answer your questions. What is more interesting than reading a human just like a book, asking them questions about their personal experiences and the prejudices they met from the community.
The main purpose of the human library is to create a platform for conversations and social interaction, this week, 130 readers have had a conversation with 8 human books who related their real-life stories ranging from Deaf victim, Differently abled human book, a journalist, Refugee, Women Entrepreneur to veteran politician and discrimination victim.
SIMAD University is proud to have hosted the first and the second Human Library events in Mogadishu, Somalia, and both events were successful, readers and other participants learned a lot from the event and the ‘Living books’ were also happy to share their narratives and experiences.