How to run a Human Teaching Book event

The basic idea  

The Human Teaching Book event brings together people who are happy to talk about their experiences (‘Books’) with those keen to know more (‘Readers’). For the duration of an event, human ‘Books’, who pick ‘titles’ for themselves to define the area for discussion, are available to ‘Readers’ for conversation (‘readings’). A Human Teaching Book event aims to establish spaces for dialogue and connection-building rather than presentations or lectures, with Readers and Books learning from each other.  

The Human Teaching Book concept widens the scope of the internationally recognised ‘Human Library’ movement which initially developed in Denmark in 2000.  Using the literal translation of the phrase ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, the aim of the Human Library is to challenge stigma and stereotypes of people by creating a framework for personal and respectful dialogue.   

As the Human Library is already an internationally recognised movement with strict rules around organisation of events, it is important to ensure any event which is not a part of this formal movement is clearly differentiated from it. The concept, however, provides a useful model for events, both in-person and online, with a wide range of aims and topics, for example, the sharing of innovative teaching ideas or tools, or different theories, approaches or specialisms.  

 

Step by step guide  

1. Choose a theme

There are many reasons to run a Human Teaching Book event. For example, you may decide you would like to enable Readers to find out more about innovative use of academic technology and so Books would be invited for their expertise in various relevant areas, for example, Blackboard, video editing and podcast creation. You may want to run a careers event and invite Books who can speak to their experiences working in diverse occupations, such as police officers, solicitors, or nurses. You may use the event as a team-building exercise with Books selecting aspects of their non-work lives they are happy to discuss with ‘Reader’ colleagues.  

 

2. Choose a format

Human Teaching Book events can take place in person or online.  

a) In person events 

If an in-person event is planned, you will need:  

• a waiting space for the Books between ‘readings’ 
• space for Books and Readers to meet and chat in private 

If a drop-in event is planned, you will also need: 

• title card for each Book  
• table or board to display ‘title’ cards for the available Books  
• assistants to explain process to Readers and to fetch Books from waiting area.  

b) Online events 

If an online event is planned, you will need someone to manage breakout rooms and to address people in the plenary sessions.  

 

3. Find Books

Human Books are recruited who are happy to talk to someone they do not necessarily know about a particular area of experience or knowledge. Decide with your book their ‘title’ which should easily communicate the area they are happy to discuss. Agree with the Books the length of ‘readings’ and whether they are happy for their details to be shared with Readers after the event to facilitate after-event communication.  

It can be difficult to decide how many Books to invite but you ideally want all Readers to have the choice of at least one Book, and the option to have several consecutive readings. Books may feel comfortable talking with several Readers at one time and this does enable the event to accommodate a greater number of readers and provide opportunities for collegial connections to be made. More than two or three Readers at once, however, is likely to turn the reading into a lecture rather than a conversation.  

Pre-event information 

Share with Books some information about the event and any ground rules. Sample event information can be found here.    

Whilst no preparation is necessary, some Books find it helpful to have a few opening questions ready to help the conversation to flow and help understand the existing knowledge/particular interest of Readers.  

Sample opening questions may be: 

• What interests you in X  
• Have you done anything with X already 
• Is there any area you are particularly curious about?  

Books at similar events have offered the following advice:  

• Be prepared for the unexpected question 

• Spend time getting to know the Reader  
• Embrace the two-way process – ‘It is not only about answering questions, but also about getting new ideas’ from the event. 

 

4. Find Readers

Readers are invited to attend. There is some sample promotional material and pre-event information here. Communicate any event ground rules.  

 

5. Manage the event

a) Drop-in format  

Arrange a table/board/list with available book ‘titles’ and invite Readers who arrive to pick one (reminding them of the event ground rules). The Book is then brought to the Reader from the waiting area and they find a space to talk (or are allocated to a breakout room in an online event).  

The readings can be a fixed time or flexible (this should be clear to the Book and Reader before the Reading starts to ensure expectations are matched). Whilst the reading takes place, the title is removed from the list of available book titles to avoid it being picked again by another Reader. When the reading ends, for the remaining duration of the event, the Reader is free to pick another book title. The Book can put their title back on the list of available titles if and when they are ready to speak with another Reader.  

 

b) Fixed duration format 

Decide the duration of the event and the number of readings that will take place. A reading of 15-20 minutes often feels comfortable yet sufficient to enable a meaningful dialogue to establish between the participants. There will need to be a short time between readings to enable a comfort break/move to another reading. 

Sample timing 

For a 90-minute online event, it is possible to create three reading sessions of twenty minutes each.  A physical event may need more time to move between readings. 

Timing	Activity
00:00 – 00:05	Welcome
00:06 -00:30	Move into breakout rooms and have the first book reading
00:31 – 00:55	Move into breakout rooms and have the second book reading
00:56 – 1:00	Screen break
1:01 – 1:25	Move into breakout rooms and have the second book reading
1:26 - 1:30	Thanks, and close

  

Matching Books and Readers  

Readers and Books can be randomly allocated into readings, Readers can pick the book titles at the start of reading sessions from cards on a table in a physical event or by adding their names to a list of available books in an interactive document for an online event or Readers can make their book title selections before the event using a form which asks for their top choices of book titles (sample form available here).  

Random allocation is easiest but there is a risk that Readers will not be as engaged with a Book they had not selected for themselves and may feel they had missed opportunities to speak to Books that were closer to their areas of interest. Picking during the event may work well but may leave some Books with no Readers. 

Asking Readers to select Books in advance does entail a matching process before the event and does create issues if Readers and Books are not able to attend on the day. It does however help planners judge if there are sufficient Books and if there are any Books with no Readers who may be excused from attending or who can then attend as Readers themselves. Where some Books are popular, even where multiple Readers per reading are permitted, not all Readers will be able to have a reading with them. It is therefore wise to let Readers know before the event that their selections are provisional only and ask them to select more titles than they will be able to meet and to rank them in order of preference to enable sensible substitutions to be made.  

Where pre-selections have been made, it is wise to remind Readers at the time of the event of their reading sessions to ensure smooth transitions between Books. For an online event, the organiser will need to be clear about the schedules of Readers and Books and ensure they are comfortable moving individuals into breakout rooms to enable smooth matching of Readers and Books throughout the event.  

 

6. Event Follow-up

After the event, if agreed and appropriate, the details of Books and their titles can be shared with Readers in a follow-up email to attendees to enable future connections to be made. It can be helpful to seek evaluation of the event from Books and Readers (sample surveys here). 

 

7. Tips to help the event go well

Ensure careful preparation of Books and Readers to ensure all attend with reasonable expectations as to what will follow. Books may find it helpful to have some conversation starters and questions prepared in advance to quickly build rapport and help focus conversations. In an online event, finding a way to create virtual rooms easily is key. Requiring readers to make book selections in advance should help with this aspect. 

 

Has the Human Teaching Book event concept worked before?  

An WIHEA Human Teaching Book online event held in Autumn 2022 which created dialogue spaces around innovative teaching practice went well.  All Readers who gave post-event feedback agreed that the Human Teaching Book was effective to support teaching-focused conversations and had helped to develop their understanding of topics they were interested in.  They also agreed that they had gained useful ideas that they would be able to incorporate into their teaching or support for student learning.  Most agreed that they had made useful connections to colleagues because of this event. The qualitative comments revealed that Readers enjoyed the event and would participate again.  

Similarly, the Books that completed the evaluation form all agreed that the Human Teaching Book concept was effective to support teaching-focused conversations.  All responded that they felt confident in engaging the Readers in discussion, had benefitted from their interactions in the event and had made useful connections to colleagues. Significantly, the Books confirmed the benefits for their own learning and practices through the ‘two-way’ conversational process.  At least one Book reported that they would be following up a potential collaboration with a Reader after the event.  

The experiences of Books and Readers suggest that the encounters operated as an exchange of knowledge rather than a one-way transmission from book to reader, evening out the traditional power imbalance of teacher and learner.  These dialogic encounters created opportunities for new ideas to develop for all participants and collaborations to form.   

The impact of the event appears to have endured beyond the encounters themselves and spread wider than the participants taking part.  Participants referred to the reflections and collaborations that occurred following the physical encounter, and their sharing with others of learning and ideas shared at or formed following the event.    

Sample documents  

Recruitment  

1. Wide call for expressions of interest in event

Booking Form: Human Teaching Book Event 

2. Sample email to potential Books

  

 

3. Sample promotion to Readers

Pre-event information  

1. Sample Information to Books

 

2. Follow-up email to Books on the day before event

  

3. Sample information to Readers

  

Book title selections online form 

 

Sample evaluation forms (which Warwick received ethical approval)