YOU can borrow pretty much anything from libraries these days — books, magazines, toys. Even humans.

The State Library of Queensland is trialing a program in Brisbane where you can check out a “human book.”

Once a month, library visitors will be able to borrow a real person with a unique story to share.

Among them is Shelly Moreton, who wanted to share her story of growing up Indigenous in Brisbane.

She was raised by her grandparents in the Aboriginal settlement at One Mile on North Stradbroke Island.

Moreton hopes to share her story when she is “checked out” of the library.

“I thought this was a good idea and a way for ordinary people like me to tell their stories and connect with others,” she said. “I’d like to share a part of my life and to raise awareness about Indigenous culture and the Indigenous history of Brisbane and Stradbroke.”

“Hopefully people who borrow me from the library will gain some awareness and walk away with some understanding about my life ... and hopefully say ‘that was a good book,’” she said.

Anne Zafer also grew up in Brisbane, but her childhood was vastly different.

Zafer’s grandparents were one of the earliest Greek families to arrive in the city after migrating from Kythera in the early 1900s.

“I want to share my connection with this part of the world and tell the story of one of the longstanding early Greek families in Brisbane,” she said.

State Library director of community connections Lone Keast said the human book program takes a different approach to traditional library borrowing.

“You take out a book, just like you do in an old fashioned library, but the book is a person,” she said. “The reading is the conversation that happens between the two people.”

The idea was first trialed in Denmark almost 20 years ago.

“The human books are from groups in society that have been stereotyped, misunderstood and discriminated against,” Keast said.

She said human books were selected for the stories that would most resonate with the community.

Keast said there are monthly 20-minute “human book” sessions up until April 2020 and she hopes it will become a regular feature.

But she insisted the normal late fees still apply.

“You can’t not return your human book ... you can’t keep it forever.”(SD-Agencies)