Children and adults in La Perouse will have a new source of books to read, thanks to a free street library installed at the front of the La Perouse Public School.

The books are free to borrow and can be returned whenever the child is ready, exchanged for another book or kept.

“The footpath library is designed to make it easy for children to stumble across a book and take it home with them to read,” said Randwick Mayor Noel D’Souza.

“As most teachers will tell you, the biggest challenge isn’t getting children to read, it’s getting them to enjoy it too. For younger readers in particular, reading at home is key way to create a sense of reading for pleasure. We want kids to find a book that interests them and take it home, without any worries about returning it to the library late.”

Inspired by the Street Library movement in Australia, the Randwick Soroptimist Club approached Council with the idea and offered to restock the library as needed. The small library is a community project, built by Carrs Park Men’s Shed, installed by a volunteer from Windgap and illustrated by Soroptimist Club member Marcia Shepherd.

“The community library is for everyone to enjoy,” said Lyn Allara from the Soroptimist Club. “Reading is so important. It improves the mind, opens up the world, and is essential for a child’s success. We encourage everyone to read and enjoy.”

“The street library movement is an informal way to spread the love of books, and encourage community members to meet and get to know one another. We’ll monitor the use of the library and if it proves popular we’ll expand the scheme to other schools, in partnership with the Soroptimist club,” said Mayor D’Souza.