SANTA MONICA, Calif. — You know those people you can read just like a book? Well, on Saturday, Santa Monicans will be able to borrow one of them when this city turns its main library into a “Living Library.”
Fourteen “living books” will be on hand in this trendy, liberal city, representing an encyclopedia of knowledge on such subjects as nudism, Buddhism and foodism. That’s because one of them is a real, live nudist, two are Buddhists and another is a vegan.
Library visitors will be allowed to check out any of the 14 people for up to 30 minutes. The hope is that library patrons will learn about the culture and beliefs of other people, erasing stereotypes in the process.
“A personal conversation breaks down barriers and connects two strangers who might not otherwise have the opportunity to speak to each other,” said Rachel Foyt, an administrative analyst at the Santa Monica Public Library.
Want to know what it’s like to be homeless? There will be a couple of folks who can speak volumes about it. What are celebrities really like? Ask the celebrity publicist.
The idea was thought up by a group of young people in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the 1990s after one of their friends was stabbed during a night out. Since then, Living Libraries have brought people of different backgrounds together in numerous countries.
Library officials are issuing a set of rules borrowers must agree to: “The reader must return the book in the same mental and physical condition as borrowed. It is forbidden to cause damage to the book. . . .”
