Inspired by the positive reception of NVCC's past Human Library events at the college, NVCC Director of Library Services, Jaime Hammond, commented, “The Human Library Planning Committee did a wonderful job organizing this wildly successfully event. Faculty, staff, students, and members of the community joined together as both books and readers, and all agreed that it was an eye-opening, inspiring, and unifying experience!” 

Invited to tell their individual stories, participants were asked to describe why they were interested in being a Book. For example, how would their story help others? What stereotypes were they trying to break down? The challenge was to “Unjudge someone.” Through this event, NVCC promoted acceptance and understanding and invited our community to practice empathy as they heard from their peers who have faced prejudice and stereotypes and overcame hardships. 

The NVCC Human Library was held virtually on April 28, 2021, during the International Center for the Arts (ICA) Festival. Reference/Instruction Librarian, Jenna Stebbins noted. “We were excited to be a part of the ICA Festival this year, as the theme of ‘Reconnection’ through honest and open conversation was also one of the primary goals of the event.”