In Copenhagen, there’s a library unlike any other, where you don’t borrow books — you borrow people. Welcome to the Human Library, a place where real-life stories are the pages, and conversations are the chapters. Here, you can ‘check out’ a person as your book, someone with a unique story to share — stories you’d never normally have access to, yet ones that are deeply important.Each “human book” on the shelf represents a group in society often overlooked, judged, or misunderstood: people facing prejudice because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, or ethnic background. It’s not just a library, it’s a movement — one that fosters understanding, compassion, and connection in a world that can sometimes feel disconnected.

I’ve always imagined people as stories — living, breathing narratives shaped by time, love, struggle, joy, and curiosity.

Think about modern humans — Homo sapiens, just like you and me — have been around for roughly 50,000 years. According to the Population Reference Bureau, more than 108 billion people have ever walked this Earth. That means every one of us is just a page in a colossal, ever-evolving anthology of human experience. With today’s population at around 7.5 billion (2019 estimate), we make up only 7% of all the people who have ever lived. By 2050, that number will rise to 113 billion. Can you imagine how many life stories that is?

Now here’s the best part: some of those stories can actually be read.

The Human Library is a global movement that turns people into “human books.” These are real individuals, each with a powerful story to share — stories that can dismantle stigma, challenge stereotypes, and open hearts and minds through dialogue. Events are hosted in libraries, museums, schools, festivals, and online, connecting readers with human books in real time.

So, here’s a question for you:

• Do you have a story that others could learn from?
• Have you experienced something that could break down a prejudice or challenge a label?
• Are you open to sharing your truth so that others might better understand the world?

If your answer is yes — then maybe you are a human book, just waiting to be read.

And how amazing is that?

You can find out more about The Human Library and how to get involved here.