Last but not least: The third dimension of book publishing
Now that new media and the Internet have already had a lasting impact on print journalism and book publishing, it’s time for a third dimension of the written word: the «living library.» Here, books are borrowed the old-fashioned way—but instead of books, it’s people.
This Sunday, May 25, the former Rosengarten restaurant in Zurich will be transformed into a public Living Library. Instead of books, people can be borrowed there for discussions. These people belong to groups of people in the city of Zurich who are often confronted with stereotyping or prejudice.
The books are: A Muslim woman with a headscarf, a housewife, a sans-papier, an HIV-positive person, a policeman, a member of the Jewish religious community, a private banker and a prostitute. They can be borrowed free of charge from the "living library" for a 30-minute conversation. The living books are not non-fiction or academic literature. They are people who are repeatedly confronted with prejudices. In this way, the "living library" can build bridges between people who think differently. According to the press release, the event aims to facilitate contact with social groups that are politicized in the broadest sense and promote a more differentiated examination of these foreign worlds, which are otherwise mainly known from the media. Visitors can choose such a "book" and talk to it alone or in pairs. Through the organized exchange, they can directly ask the living books - with which they would otherwise probably not be able to come into contact so easily - questions that interest them personally and that go beyond the abbreviated prejudices and stereotyping. Living Library events are thus characterized by tolerance and personally imparted knowledge.
The first Living Library was held at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 2000 as part of the "Stop the violence" youth initiative. It attracted attention beyond the country's borders and similar events are now held in numerous countries. The concept is still little known in Switzerland.
The Living Library Zurich will be held in the "blue salon" of the former Rosengarten restaurant (right next to the Kalkbreite streetcar stop in district 4). On May 29, 2011 between 15:00 and 21:00 people can be borrowed there for 30-minute talks. Participation is free of charge. The event is privately organized by David Gaus (graphic designer) and Simone Isliker (philosophy student).
