It is a good idea to evaluate all parties who took part in the Human Library. This is usually the Living Books, the readers and anyone else who helped out on the day, e.g. a counsellor, Mental Health First Aiders to find out their experience of running the event.
Asking a couple of questions at the end of the event should give you enough information to work out what they got from the event. You could do this as part of a survey, ask people to write their answers on sticky notes that they add to a wall/table on their way out of the event or verbally.
Questions to ask include:
What did you enjoy most today?
Is there anything you have learnt today?
What else could we offer at future events?
Write down the one thing from your conversation that has really impacted you.
If we run the Human Library again, what should we do differently?
Where did you hear about the event? E.g. staff networks, Staff Hub, word of mouth etc.
What was it that persuaded you to be a book? What was it that appealed to you?
What did you think to the training? Did it sufficiently prepare you for the event? Was there anything missing?
What were your feelings before the event? Were you nervous/excited etc. ?
What did it feel like to be a book?
Was the event what you expected? Did the experience match your expectations?
What have you gained personally from the experience? Did you get something out of it?
Timings: Was XX mins too long/too short? Did you find two readings ok? Would you have preferred more/less? Would you have preferred a longer break in between readings?
What did you think to wearing a t-shirt?
Did you find the conversations flowed freely? Were people willing to ask questions?
Did you find the room/building a suitable venue for this event?
Was the support offered both prior and during the event sufficient or was there something else we could have done?
If we ran the event in the future what would you change?
Do you think the event would work if we recruited students to be the living books and staff to be the readers or an all student event? Are there extra safeguards we would need to put in place?
Asking some general questions such as:
Did you feel it was useful to have a mental first aider/counsellor at the event?
Did you use any of your skills at the event or afterwards?
Is there anything we could have done to help facilitate this?
How do you think the event went today?
Did you have to intervene in/terminate any of the conversations?
Is there anything we can learn for next time?
