By Jonelle St. Aubyn
The Human Library at the Louise Arbour Secondary School Library Learning Commons
Abstract
This paper provides a fine resource for others to use in organizing a Human Library event in their school. The teacher-librarian of a secondary school researched and organized a Human Library event where volunteers from the community engaged in small groups with teens about various aspects of the volunteer, or “human book’s”, life including vocation, challenges, accomplishments. Survey responses following the event indicate a high degree of the event’s success from both students and community volunteers.
Jonelle St. Aubyn started her teaching career with the Peel District School Board as a Health and Physical Education and Family Studies teacher at T.L. Kennedy Secondary School in 2002. Jonelle opened Louise Arbour Secondary School in 2010 at the Head of Physical Education and transitioned to the library learning commons in 2015. Since then she has been the full-time lead teacher-librarian at Louise Arbour and excited to be celebrating her fifth year in this role.