2026-06-04 –, Room #3 Language: English
INTRODUCTION
What began as a straightforward question: 'Should this skeleton still be on display in the library?' evolved into a deeper inquiry. This presentation will explore a hospital library’s investigation into the origins, ethics, and future of human remains held in our library space. It will also discuss the experience of collaborating with an academic program to create a meaningful, ‘real-world’ learning experience for students in a forensic anthropology program.
DESCRIPTION
As part of this project, a literature review was first conducted to explore the ethics of the use and display of skeletal human remains in medical education. This exploration led to concerns and questions about the origins, educational value, care, and dignity of the individual in our library. Our team engaged experts from our organization's bioethics department and an academic forensic anthropology department to assess the skeleton’s provenance and determine actionable steps to move forward.
OUTCOMES
Through collaboration with bioethics and forensic anthropology, this problem was leveraged into a learning opportunity for budding forensic anthropologists. Through this exercise, our team received a report confirming the individual’s descent, age and sex. Further, practical recommendations were provided by a forensic anthropology expert, informing our team’s decisions.
DISCUSSION
Throughout this project, we learned about institutional accountability, the ethics of human artifact stewardship, and the importance of respectful decision-making when the past meets the present. Through this presentation, we will share our process, findings, actions, and lessons learned.
Jessica Babineau (she/her) has over a decade of professional experience in hospital libraries. She is currently the Director of the University Health Network's Library & Information Services in Toronto. In this role, she leads a dynamic team of information professionals dedicated to enabling innovation and learning through expert information leadership, and promoting and facilitating access to the best evidence for decision-making. Looking to break-the-ice with something not so library-related? Talk to her about pinball.
Raluca Serban has been a Library Technician at the University Health Network since 2012. She is an active member of the Instruction Group and the Outreach Team, where she enjoys coordinating the workshop schedule, developing workshops, exploring the foundations of adult education and contributing to workshop promotion. Outside of work, Raluca keeps busy with her energetic six year old, fuels her days with copious amounts of coffee, and indulges in late night reading whenever she can.