Building Community and Care: A Student Wellness Partnership at the Nahum Gelber Law Library

By: McGill Libraries October 21, 2025 Features

People

A collaboration started in 2023 between the Office of the Dean of Students – including the Student Wellness Hub – and the Nahum Gelber Law Library continues to grow, creating new opportunities for connection, support, and wellbeing within the Faculty of Law.

Rooted in a shared commitment to student success, this partnership integrates wellness into the spaces where students already spend much of their time.

“As Assistant Dean (Students), I see wellness not as an add-on, but as a core part of how we support student flourishing,” says Brittany Williams, Assistant Dean (Students) and Dean’s Lead, Black and Indigenous Flourishing. “The Library is a natural partner in this work – students spend long hours there, often under pressure, and it’s one of the few spaces that’s both academic and communal. Embedding wellness into the Library’s programming and physical space sends a powerful message: your wellbeing matters, even in your most demanding moments. These collaborations help us build a wider, more accessible net of support, and they remind students that care and community are part of their academic journey – not separate from it.”

Through this collaboration, the Nahum Gelber Law Library and the Student Wellness Hub have hosted events designed to bring comfort, connection, and calm to students during the busiest times of the semester.

Upcoming events this fall include:

Animal Therapy on Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Drop by the Nahum Gelber Law Library and meet our wonderful handlers and dogs, trained to provide comfort and stress relief. No registration necessary. In partnership with McGill’s Student Wellness Hub.
Hot Chocolate & tea break for students on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visit the Nahum Gelber Law Library for a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea. Members of the Library team and the Student Wellness Hub will be there to welcome you and share more about wellness resources available across McGill.

“As a Local Wellness Advisor, I believe that building community and creating partnerships is at the center of the work we do to support students in their wellness journey,” says Gabrielle Petrucci, Local Wellness Advisor for the Faculty of Law. “Partnering with Nahum Gelber Library and their conscientious team helps us meet students where they are and be a united front in the Faculty to advocate for wellbeing and mental health.”

For the staff at the law library, this partnership reflects a deep understanding of the pressures students face and the importance of holistic support. “As Head Librarian, I see how hard students study and how stressful the semester can be,” says Sandy Hervieux. “I think it’s important that we provide different types of support at the Library; the librarians can help with academic challenges and research questions, and our amazing partners in the Faculty can support wellness and mental health. I see these collaborations as a vital part of our work to support students and I’m glad that we have established such positive relationships with our partners in the Faculty.”

The Nahum Gelber Law Library’s wellness initiatives began in 2018¹, following a growing awareness of the stress and mental health challenges faced by McGill law students. After introducing a popular “de-stress zone” with couches and puzzles, librarians responded to student feedback by creating a dedicated wellness collection—the first of its kind in the library. Featuring books and magazines on topics such as motivation, healthy living, nutrition, and mindfulness, the collection offered students a way to pause and recharge amid demanding studies. Its success helped position the library as an active contributor to student wellbeing, aligning with McGill’s Student Wellness Hub. The collection continues to evolve, supported by partnerships and programming that promote wellness in the law school community.

By bringing together academic and wellness supports, this partnership embodies McGill’s broader commitment to fostering student wellbeing. It reminds everyone that balance, and care are not distractions from success – they are essential to it.