Real Life Library Event Brings Living Books to Madison Public Library

posted September 11, 2017 – 8:24am

Community Members Invited to Participate in Unique Storytelling Event

Madison, WI – Checking out a book isn’t the only way to enjoy a good story at the library. Real Life Library at Madison Public Library gives patrons the chance to “check out” a person with their own story to share.

Real Life Library is a unique storytelling and listening event put on by local nonprofit We Help One Another (WHOA!) in partnership with the Madison Public Library. Volunteers act as live “books” that attendees can “read,” taking in each person’s personal stories.

Each of the “books” will be recorded and used to build a digital repository of stories and experiences that can be shared, taught, and passed on from generation to generation. Every Real Life Library event ultimately creates a digital volume of books, or human perspectives that can help educate others on social issues and humanize history.

Real Life Library is grounded in the belief that everyone has a story to tell and those stories can elevate wellbeing for everyone, both the stories and the readers. “We listen, we engage in deep empathy and build relationships which will build community,” says WOAH! founder, Garrett Lee.

Real Life Library: Volume 2 is taking place at Central Library on September 16 from 10:00-4:00pm.

For more information, visit madisonpubliclibrary.org.

About Madison Public Library
Madison Public Library’s tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for more than 140 years. Our nine locations throughout the City of Madison welcome over 2.2 million visits each year. For more information, visit madisonpubliclibrary.org, madisonpubliclibrary on Facebook or @madisonlibrary on Twitter. Follow Real Life Library on social media using #RealLifeLibrary.

About We Help One Another (WHOA!)
We Help One Another is a Madison-based nonprofit organization with the mission to elevate personal, interpersonal, and community wellbeing in order to help one another fulfill our basic needs. For more information, visit wehelponeanother.com, wehelponeanother on Facebook. Follow Real Life Library on social media using #RealLifeLibrary.