Williams College Seeks 'Books' for Human Library Project

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College is seeking volunteers for its seventh annual Human Library, which will be held on Friday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Paresky student center.

Founded in 2001 in Denmark, the Human Library seeks to promote human rights and social cohesion by creating greater understanding between people. It provides an opportunity for people to learn more about each other while working through stereotypes and discrimination. The event has been held at Williams annually since 2012.

A Human Library consists of volunteers who act as "books" that can be "checked out" by "readers." Each book decides on a title that gives a snapshot of their story: "A Triple Minority in Trump's America," "From Wall Street to East Harlem" or "My 150 pound Weight Loss Journey," for instance. The book and reader engage in a 30-minute one-on-one conversation about the book’s life and experience, and then the book can ask questions of the reader as well, prompting discussion about shared experiences and differing perspectives. As a central goal of the Human Library is to reduce prejudice through dialog, the project welcomes stories from people in the process of change, or who are willing to share how their thinking has evolved.

If you are interested in volunteering as a book, please fill out the Human Library Participant Information form no later than Jan. 20 online. If you have questions, contact Lois Banta by email or by phone at 413-597-4330.

BHS' New North County Urgent Care Center Opens Tuesday

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:44PM / Monday, December 15, 2025

There is a waiting area and reception desk to the right of the Williamstown Medical entrance. 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Staff and contractors were completing the final touches on Monday to prepare for the opening of Berkshire Health System's new urgent care center. 

 

Robert Shearer, administrative director of urgent care, said the work would be done in time for Berkshire Health Urgent Care North to open Tuesday at 11 a.m. in a wing of Williamstown Medical on Adams Road.  

 

The urgent care center will occupy a suite of rooms off the right side of the entry, with two treatment rooms, offices, amenities, and X-ray room. 

 

"This is a test of the need in the community, the want in the community, to see just how much we need," said Shearer. "One thing that I think Berkshire Health Systems has always been really good at is kind of gauging the need and growing based on what the community tells us. 

 

"And so if we on day one and two and three, find that we're filling this up and maybe exceeding the capacity of the two exam rooms and one provider, then we look to expand it."

 

Hours will be weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 8 to noon, but the expectation is that the center will "expand those hours pretty quick."

 

BHS has two urgent care centers in Lenox and in Pittsfield. The health system had tried a walk-in center at Williamstown nearly a decade ago but shuttered over low volume of patients.