‘The Human Library’ returns to Cuesta College on March 5
Event encourages open discussions on identity, resilience, and mental health
– Cuesta College, in collaboration with its library, student health services, and San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health, will host The Human Library on March 5 at its San Luis Obispo campus.
“The Cuesta Library is honored to host The Human Library Project again,” said Cuesta College instructor and reference librarian Carina Love. “It is so rewarding for the whole team to see our community members engaging in positive, open-minded discussions. Last year’s event was a tremendous success, and we are pleased to bring it back to campus.”
The Human Library, which originated in Denmark more than 20 years ago, is a global movement that challenges stereotypes and biases through open conversations. The event provides a space for participants to engage in discussions with human books, volunteers who share personal experiences on various topics.
Participants will have the opportunity to speak with individuals who have experience as a first-generation college student, adopting a plant-based diet, surviving PTSD, being in foster care, navigating intersex identity, overcoming addiction, surviving a loss from suicide, going through a psychotic episode, being an elderly gay college professor, struggling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and transitioning from childhood with a disability to adulthood.
The free event will take place at the Charles and Leeta Dovica Learning Resource Center and Library in Building 3200 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will feature 30-minute conversation sessions, and attendees may participate in multiple discussions throughout the day. Free food will be provided.
“We are excited to be partnering with Cuesta College to bring The Human Library to our community for the second year in a row,” said San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Specialist Annie Jankovitz. “Last year’s event connected over 200 participants with 13 books who shared diverse stories of hope and resilience. With a mixture of new and returning human books, we hope to continue challenging prejudice and implicit bias through the sharing of personal stories.”
For more information, contact Carina Love at clove@cuesta.edu or Annie Jankovitz at ajankovitz@co.slo.ca.us.
