What happens when Library Monitors stop “helping” and start leading? At ESF Kowloon Junior School, our PYP students now genuinely co-manage the library – choosing books, designing displays, organising Book Week, publishing real books, and even taking stories to under-served children across Hong Kong.
Macy, PYP Teacher Librarian at ESF Kowloon Junior School has turned a traditional library into a thriving, student-owned learning hub.
In this session, we will look at three high-impact examples that worked:
An after-school club becoming published authors, with all profits donated to a charity the kids chose
Library Ambassadors reading regularly to children from low-income families across HK
Leave with concrete, low-prep ideas you can launch next week and a clearer vision of what real student ownership looks and feels like.
Macy Lau, Teacher Librarian, ESF Kowloon Junior School
Macy is a passionate and innovative PYP Teacher Librarian at ESF Kowloon Junior School, who believes in empowering students to become leaders and lifelong readers. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now proudly calls Hong Kong home.
With a unique background trained in both mathematics and teacher librarianship from the University of Hong Kong, Macy has a proven ability to facilitate dynamic learning environments. She has successfully reinvented the traditional school library into a vibrant, student-centered hub for learning and ideas. At the heart of this transformation is her philosophy of student choice and ownership.
Under her guidance, the KJS library is co-managed by a team of dedicated Library Ambassadors. These student leaders take genuine ownership of the space—from planning and selecting books to decorating for celebrations and organizing major events like Book Week and community outreach programs with partners like Bring Me a Book Hong Kong. Macy’s role is to facilitate, enabling students to flourish as they curate a library that truly reflects their voices and interests.
She is eager to share her successful model of transforming a library into a dynamic, student-led community space that fosters a genuine love for reading and leadership.
