As part of its innovative learning initiatives, SAC Library also hosts a Human Library, where students engage with real-life experiences, personal stories, and interactive sessions with mentors, professionals, and community leaders. This unique concept encourages empathy, understanding, and personal growth by allowing students to “borrow” a person and learn directly from their experiences.
Additionally, SAC Library offers online career tutorials, e-courses, and learning materials, ensuring students and faculty have comprehensive support for academic, research, and professional development.
The SAC Library continues to play a vital role in the educational mission of St. Antony’s College, providing a modern, accessible, and resource-rich environment that fosters knowledge, research, and lifelong learning.
- Book Catalog: Individuals who volunteer to be “books” provide information about their personal experiences, background, and the topics they are willing to discuss. Each “book” is assigned a title that reflects a part of their identity or life story.
- Check Out Process: Visitors to the Human Library, referred to as “readers,” can browse the catalog of available books. When they find a story or perspective they’re interested in, they can “check out” the corresponding human book for a one-on-one conversation.
- Conversations: During the checkout period, readers have the opportunity to engage in a conversation with the human book, asking questions and gaining insights into the book’s unique experiences. This direct interaction promotes understanding and challenges preconceived notions.
- Time Limit: Similar to a traditional library book checkout, there is often a time limit for each conversation to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to engage with the human books.
