College of DuPage Human Library Project sheds light on differences

Posted March 28, 2019 11:00 pm

Submitted by COD News Bureau

Ninety-year-old Donald G. Westlake, author of the poetry collection "Elburn: Forty-four Miles to Chicago," engages in conversation with a student at the College of DuPage's "Human Library" event. Courtesy of Press Photography Network/ Special to College of DuPage

Volunteers from the College of DuPage community acted as "human books" representing a variety of cultural backgrounds and life experiences during COD's Human Library.

The "human books" engaged in conversation with participants in a one-on-one setting for 20 minutes at a time.

Bringing the international project to the COD community created a safe space for dialogues on challenging topics, said Humanities Professor Julia diLiberti.

"Conversations and storytelling help build empathy and when we try to understand the world through another person's experiences, we see there are often more similarities than differences," she said.

The first Human Library was held in 2000 in Denmark. The original event was open eight hours a day for four consecutive days and featured more than 50 different titles. Since then, similar events have been organized in libraries, schools and other institutions around the world.

The Human Library took place during COD's Humanities Festival, "World View."

The three-week festival Feb. 6-24 featured college faculty, instructors and staff drawing from anthropology, architecture, art, earth science, film, history, music, poetry, sociology and more, all focusing on the myriad lenses through which one can see the world.

It opened with the annual African-American Read-In. Subsequent sessions throughout the festival include "HUMANities for everyBODY," "Is International Education Hurting the U.S. Economy?," "The World Without: Seeing Grief Through Poets' Eyes,"

Melissa Mouritsen, assistant professor of political science at College of DuPage, spoke about "Poverty in DuPage." Poverty in the suburbs is increasing faster than poverty in urban or rural areas. It does not get the attention of either, and does not have the resources, and is exacerbated by suburban infrastructure.

Brian Brems, who teaches English and film studies at College of DuPage, talked about "Empathy Machine: Cinema and Seeing" and the role of cinema in fostering empathy in its audience.

Alison Bell, senior resettlement manager of World Relief DuPage/Aurora talked about "The Role of Community in Refugee Integration" and "Migrants at the Border." Over 18 percent of DuPage County's population is foreign born. While immigrant services organizations play an essential role in serving foreign born individuals, a growing body of research highlights the importance of the broader community in the process of integration to the United States. Her talk explored the ways in which community relationships help play an important part in immigrant and refugee integration.

In addition, the festival included a tour of the Morton Arboretum to explore "The Amazing Adventures of Plant Hunters!" Rita Hassert, library collections manager, talked about the men and women who traveled to remote areas, faced incredible challenges, and discovered new plants that today grace your garden and table. Participants also saw treasures from the Sterling Morton Library collections.

To view more photos from the event, visit the COD Newsroom on Flickr.com.

The Rev. Seth Carey of First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn volunteers as a "Human Library" at a College of DuPage Humanities Festival event. Participants had a chance to talk to him about "Impersonating a Clergyman: Confessions of an Unorthodox Preacher." Courtesy of Press Photography Network/ Special to College of DuPage

Donald G. Westlake, one of the volunteers at the College of DuPage's "Human Library" event, offers to talk about "A Funny Thing Happened: Life as An Anthology of Stories." He worked as a laborer, a teacher, a chemist and a material scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and a poet. Courtesy of Press Photography Network/ Special to College of DuPage

Eden Shadis, a licensed school counselor/educator and social justice advocate, displays her "book title" "Grit: I Am More Than My Situation" at the College of DuPage "Human Library" event. Courtesy of Press Photography Network/ Special to College of DuPage

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