The Alberni Valley Child & Youth Network (AVCYN) will lead a community Human Library storytelling event on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Echo Centre in Port Alberni, British Columbia. In a Human Library, residents ‘borrow’ a person instead of a book to hear real-life stories about family life and learning. The event is part of Family Literacy Week and the broader effort to encourage families to spend more time reading and talking together across generations.
Visitors will be able to choose from a catalog of volunteers who have signed up to act as living ‘books.’ These volunteers include local seniors, people who have moved to Canada from other countries, and local craftspeople. Each volunteer will share their experiences during a 20– to 30–minute conversation, giving neighbours a chance to learn from one another through simple, face-to-face storytelling.
The event is organized in partnership with the Literacy Alberni Society and the Port Alberni branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL). Organizers are framing the day around ABC Life Literacy Canada’s 2026 Family Literacy Day theme, ‘Make mealtime family learning time,’ to encourage families to use everyday routines as learning opportunities. By using people as ‘books,’ the organizers intend to make learning feel like a friendly chat rather than a classroom lesson.
According to Decoda Literacy Solutions, the event takes place during BC’s Family Literacy Week, which runs January 25–February 1, 2026. Local news organizations have previously reported on Family Literacy Day festivals at the Echo Centre and the community’s ongoing tradition of activity-based literacy events.
