On November 8, 2017, the William H. Hannon Library and the Office for International Students and Scholars hosted LMU’s fifth Human Library, an international movement designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices, and encourage understanding, through the simple art of one-on-one conversation. Just like a regular library, a "reader" borrows a "books" for a limited period of time. After borrowing the book, the reader returns it to the library, and if they like, they may check out another book. In the Human Library, there is one significant difference: the books are human beings, and each book and reader has the opportunity to engage in unique, individual dialogue about the human experience.
In 2017, the Human Library at LMU was part of the campus-wide WorldFest activities. WorldFest is a celebration of international education and a recognition of the critical role international exchange plays in developing mutual understanding, building leadership abroad, and investing in the future relationship between Americans and citizens around the world.