Challenging prejudice through dialogue: a systematic review of human library research and learning-oriented library services

Purpose This study aims to synthesize the scholarly landscape of human libraries, positioning them as learning-oriented, dialogue-based information services and as a form of library user services and community programming. It aims to clarify how the field has developed, what major themes and trends have emerged and how the current knowledge structure connects service design with learning- and inclusion-related outcomes, including implications for service evaluation. Design/methodology/approach Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, the study systematically retrieved and screened publications from Scopus, with the query conducted on 4 June 2022. Using an integrated methodology, it combined bibliometric description and keyword co-occurrence mapping with full-text deductive thematic analysis and inductive content analysis. Two researchers coded and cross-validated results to enhance reliability, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Findings The indexed literature is small, dispersed and low in citation impact relative to the widespread practice of human libraries. Keyword and thematic analyses identify five clusters that organize the field around (1) operation and infrastructure, (2) knowledge and education, (3) diversity, (4) oral history and (5) prejudice reduction and inclusion. Inductive synthesis reveals two complementary research strands: one addresses the development and operation of human libraries as service models, while the other evaluates benefits and intervention effects, particularly prejudice reduction and inclusion. The findings suggest a shift over time from communication and knowledge-sharing themes toward more outcome-oriented and intervention-focused research. Research limitations/implications The review is limited to Scopus-indexed publications and may under-represent non-indexed, non-English or practice-based evidence, including local reports and practitioner-oriented program documentation. Future research can expand database coverage and incorporate grey literature and program evaluations, while improving comparability through clearer reporting of intervention components, participant characteristics and outcome measures so that service-oriented claims can be assessed across settings. Practical implications Library and information professionals can use the synthesized themes and knowledge structure to support learning-oriented service innovation, including program design, documentation and evaluation, as well as staff training and facilitation planning. The review also highlights the value of aligning operational decisions and facilitation practices with outcomes such as empathy, perspective-taking, reduced social distance and inclusion and selecting measures that make outcomes comparable across implementations. Social implications By clarifying how human libraries are studied as dialogic interventions, the review supports evidence-informed development of services intended to reduce prejudice and strengthen inclusive participation in communities and learning settings, and it strengthens the rationale for dialogue-based services in libraries and related institutions. Originality/value The study provides an integrative systematic review of human library research that combines bibliometric mapping with qualitative synthesis. It offers a field-level account of themes, trends and knowledge structure, and it bridges service design and learning-related outcomes to inform both scholarship and practice in information and learning sciences, with specific relevance to library user services and service evaluation.