Our libraries across the shire have partnered with the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation for a special project because staff believe every child should have books to read.

Parkes’ Cultural, Education and Library Services Manager Shellie Buckle is inviting the whole community to wrap a book and put it under one of their libraries’ Christmas trees in Parkes, Trundle, Tullamore and Peak Hill.

Since setting up their Christmas tree on November 28 in the Parkes Library, there were already multiple donations sitting at its base thanks to generous locals.

“It is recognised that exposure to books in early childhood is a key indicator for literacy success,” Shellie said.

The process is simple:

1. Purchase a book for a child between birth and 12 years.

2. Wrap the book in Christmas paper.

3. Put a tag on the book with the child’s age the book is suitable for.

4. Bring it into your library and put it under the Christmas tree.

Books will be accepted until Friday, December 22 which is when the library team will package them up and send them to the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation.

The books will be distributed to 200 schools in remote areas of northern Australia as part of the Foundation's “Books and Library Project”.

Parkes Branch Librarian Andrea Lovell said the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is most excited about them wanting to help.  

“The books the Parkes community will give under the Library Christmas trees will go to parents and educators who are passionate about educating the young people in their communities,” she said.

“An example is a one-teacher school that only has 16 books in the classroom.

“The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is aiming to provide 300 books to this classroom and to follow it up with a grant so a library can be developed.”

The gift of giving at Christmas is a special thing.

And Parkes library staff said the gift of giving a book will begin to transform the lives of Aboriginal children, engaging them in education.