King's College London

King’s Human Library allows you to book time to have a one-to-one conversation with a volunteer colleague (or 'human book’).

Human libraries aim to open dialogue about personal experiences, expertise, cultures, and identities. We want to use these conversations to promote empathy and connectivity within our diverse King’s community.

What are human libraries?

In organisational settings, human libraries have proven effective in breaking down barriers between staff members, enhancing collaboration and inclusivity, boosting teamwork and fostering a deeper understanding of each other's roles. By sharing personal stories, participants report feeling more connected and valued, which cultivates a more cohesive organisational culture.

Find out more about the concept of human libraries.

How will we evaluate the impact of our human library?

To evaluate the impact of King’s Human Library, we will collect survey data from both the participants and staff volunteering as ‘human books’. We’ll collect this data before, right after, and four weeks after participation.

The survey will assess:

• General experience at King’s: Measured at all time points, using the ‘Settling at King’s’ questions.
• Engagement: Measured before and four weeks after the session using a three-item scale created by the BE At King’s team.
• Confidence in connecting: Measured right after the session using questions designed by the BE At King’s team.

We’ll also ask our volunteer ‘human books’ some qualitative questions before and after the session. These questions will be focused on their motivation, expectations, experience, and thoughts and feelings about the session.

Find out more and get in touch

The King's Human Library project is led by Haf Rees.

Want to find out more about this initiative or find out how we can help you with your own? Get in touch with BE At King's at beatkings@kcl.ac.uk.