On 15th June, RBVRR Women's College hosted a Human library Hyderabad session in the auditorium. Hyderabad is the second city in all of India to have this concept of a Human library and the event was a success among the students. Human library is a unique take on the conventional library, where in people with a story become the 'books' and interact with the readers. There were 8 speakers/books in total who spoke on topics like Body shaming, sexual identities, disabilities and alcoholism. The members of QLC share their experiences and the books that moved them, in this post.
I read 4 'books' in the Human library session conducted in the college. Going in, I had no idea what to expect as this was the first time I had even heard the term 'Human Library'. But at the end of the day, I felt a teeny bit wiser and a lot more understanding. The books don't tell conventional stories but they share their real-life struggles and how they've finally found acceptance. Books like 'My Happy size' and 'The Turncoat', which are on body shaming and atheism, resonated with me but it was books like 'Mothering LGBTQ children' that really moved me to tears. This was once-in-a-lifetime experience and I really hope to attend, if given the chance again.
- Mounica, BA III year
The Human Library conducted in our college, was a new and unique take on the original library. We spent quality time whilst attending the event and we learnt quite a lot from the stories of the speakers. This event revolved around stories of various social issues and situations. A conventional library might be an exciting experience for avid readers and book lovers but might not be enjoyable for people who don’t read as much. The Human Library provides an immensely engaging experience and a rejuvenating environment that will help everyone learn about real issues through a rejuvenating story telling process.
- Anisha Bodapati, BtCFs II year
I took part in the Human Library session which was held in the auditorium. There were three different books which I attended, or 'read'. One book spoke about a driving accident which cost him, his leg. Despite that, he did not lose hope and went on to win prizes as a para-athlete. Another book spoke about his experience as an Ex-Muslim and why he chose to be an atheist. Perhaps my most favorite book of all was where I learned what exactly LGBTQ entails. The speaker spoke to us on the struggles of being gay and what problems that LGBTQ community faces. This session totally changed my perspective towards many things. I learned to respect people and to not judge them by their height, color, weight or physical appearances.
- Hiranmayee, BA II year
The Human library Event was really interesting with many books. I read books on Atheism and Veganism but I was most fascinated with the book 'Mothering LGBTQ children'. It was very emotional and heart touching. The speaker is mother of a gay son and she told us how she didn't even know what the word gay meant at first. However, she realized her child was different, so she stood strong for her son in the face of society. She didn't hesitate to cut ties with her relatives when they were against her son. She is an inspiration to all the mothers out there and it really helped me build different perspectives of the world.
- Bhakti Matur, BA III year
