The Experience Exchange: An OT Human Library, where doctoral learning meets lived experience.
We are developing a Human Library Project within the Division of Occupational Therapy at Binghamton University and invite you to consider participating in this doctoral-level educational initiative.
The Human Library Project is designed to create a living library of occupational therapy practitioners and community experts whose professional expertise, contextual insight, and reflective practice can support students as they integrate advanced coursework with applied scholarly inquiry.
Through structured dialogue and narrative exchange, students engage with lived experience to deepen professional reasoning, examine practice within complex systems, and explore innovative approaches to occupation-centered care.
What It Means to Be a Human Library “Book”
As a Human Library Book, you would be invited to:
- Share a concise professional bio using a structured template that highlights your practice context, leadership experiences, and areas of expertise
- Optionally record a brief 2–3 minute video introduction to support relational learning and professional connection
- Describe your professional journey, cultural or contextual influences, and how these inform decision-making, innovation, or service delivery
- Offer discussion prompts, reflective insights, or guidance that students can draw upon as they synthesize knowledge across coursework and capstone development
Participation is intentionally flexible. Contributing a written profile alone is sufficient, with optional enhancements for those who wish to expand their engagement.
Purpose and Alignment with Doctoral OT Education
The Human Library Project supports advanced learning by helping students connect theory, practice, leadership, and scholarship in meaningful ways. Human Books may serve in one or both of the following roles:
Capstone Project Experts
Human Books may offer insights into program development, evaluation, innovation, education, advocacy, leadership, or emerging practice areas. These perspectives help students ground their doctoral capstone projects in authentic needs, real-world constraints, and forward-thinking solutions.
Clinical and Practice Experts
Human Books may also enrich doctoral coursework by illustrating how evidence, ethics, and professional judgment are applied across diverse practice settings, populations, and systems.
In both roles, Human Books support students in moving beyond technical competence toward reflective, systems-aware, and impact-driven practice.
Why Your Contribution Matters
Your experience represents a form of knowledge that cannot be replicated through readings alone. By sharing your story, you contribute to students’ understanding of professional identity, leadership, resilience, and responsibility within occupational therapy.
Inspiration and Model
The Human Library Project draws inspiration from international dialogue-based learning models that emphasize lived experience as a powerful educational resource, including:
- Reading Garden Human Library
- Human Library International
