Students at Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College (MFG) celebrated Book Week with the unusual experience of borrowing a person from their school library.
“Adapting a social cohesion concept from Denmark, the MFG Living Library provides students with an opportunity to borrow a person from our school or wider community who has a story to share,” explained teacher-librarian Nicolle Brigden.
“The living ‘books’ share their experiences through a conversation with small groups of students during their visit.”
This year’s ‘books’ at MFG’s first Living Library included artists, writers, global adventurers, the MFG principal, a mountaineer, a professional firefighter and a volunteer with the Geelong-based Offspring Foundation, which supports girls and women liberated from sex trafficking in Kolkata, India.
“It was so interesting to hear from people that I wouldn’t ordinarily meet,” commented Year 8 student Emily.
“I also heard about my teacher’s life away from school.”
“I loved meeting a professional firefighter who’s female,” said Anouk from Year 10.
