That is one unique take on reference materials.

“You sometimes hear people’s prejudices and you realize that they are just uninformed,” said Ulla Brohed of the Malmö Library. The Living Library project allows people to look their prejudices in the eye and become more informed. Patrons can check out these “items” for a 45-minute tête-à-tête in the library’s outdoor cafe.

Who pays for the coffee and Swedish pastry I couldn’t tell you.

Yup, this is a pretty out-there idea. And I’m all for it. Anything that might increase communication and understanding I’m willing to cheer. But as a former library employee, I worry about pragmatic matters.

Where, for instance, will these items be housed? If you stash them with the books, arrange each person on a shelf in the nonfiction section, they’ll take up a dizzying amount of needed shelf space. Rolling them around on the library carts will be no picnic either.

I’m sure Swedish libraries have gone computerized, so at the circulation desk these resources won’t be stamped on the forehead with the due date. However, they might not like being scanned any better.

A patron with overdues likely won’t be allowed to take any of these items out. The words from the librarian at the circulation desk will be firm: “You have Harry Potter at home and a Gypsy in the cafe. You can’t check out the imam until you bring those back.”

If these offerings prove popular, there will be waiting lists. An individual who likes to learn — or argue — could sign up for each person. If an offering doesn’t generate a waiting list, I hope his or her feelings won’t be hurt. And if the gay guy generates a mighty long list of only men’s names, well, the librarians might look for a less handsome resource. Or a lesbian.

Appropriately, librarians take a dim view of materials being returned in bad shape. Sometimes patrons don’t return items at all. I hope in Malmö the librarians have considered the safety of the materials being lent out. It seems so — patrons can only take these items to the library’s cafe, after all. If patrons wish more insight than that gleaned in a 45-minute conversation, well, perhaps they can renew.

Finally, I can’t help wondering: How will these items fit into the return slot?

It might be difficult for Americans to understand why a journalist is included among the resources — and it might not. Brohed of the Malmö Library said patrons could discover that, “Maybe not all journalists are know-it-all and sensationalist, just unafraid and curious.”

Though I don’t speak Swedish, I’d be willing to go on loan. The thing is, I qualify as both a journalist and a homosexual. Since the human resources are being paid “a small sum,” I’d demand double pay for covering two bases.

But they might not want me, inasmuch as my spiel would sound like this: “I’m a lesbian because I’m emotionally and physically drawn to women. I’m a journalist because it seemed like a good idea at the time. And by the way, I do know it all. Never doubt that. Now if you’ll just return me, I have a date with the animal rights activist.”