Drawing upon the faculty’s extensive professional and extracurricular knowledge base, the initiative involves group sessions ranging from 30 to 120 minutes. Nonmainstream topics on offer include cappuccino-making, gardening, the life cycle of the Formosan black bear, meditation, tai chi, wine tasting and little-known facts about Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong.
SHU Library Director Yeh Nei-ching said the human library is an innovative way of spurring interaction between academics and students while increasing library visit numbers.
“Our professors and their specialties are set out on a list for student perusal,” he said. “We welcome feedback on its composition and suggestions for additions and changes.”
According to Yeh, the concept was first introduced in Denmark 14 years ago by Dany Abergel, leader of youth organization Stop the Violence. “The goal was to encourage dialogue and greater understanding among people from all walks of life,” she said
Ho Tsung-wu, a professor with the Department of Finance, is one of the library’s most popular “books” on the basis of his meditation instruction.
“I’m happy to be ‘borrowed,’” he said. “University libraries in Taiwan are usually a bit too passive and programs such as these can serve as forces of revitalization.”
Echoing Ho’s remarks, Yeh said she has high hopes for the initiative and is looking forward to expanding the list next semester to feature Japanese sake culture, bread- and stuffed toy-making, as well as Zen Buddhism.
“Going forward, we also plan to bring in ‘books’ from our alumni or the public and private sectors.” (SSC-JSM)
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