An idea by a nine-year-old local schoolgirl has led to the creation of Ku-ring-gai’s first official street library at Warrimoo Avenue in St Ives.
Have you spotted a yellow box on a street near you? Or a colourful wooden hut stuffed with tempting books to leaf through? If so, you might have seen a Street Library. These clever ‘take a book, leave a book’ borrowing systems are popping up all over Sydney, and the latest is in St Ives. And the person behind its appearance is a local student!
Creative student Averie Sun thought of the idea for a Ku-ring-gai street library after reading about an example of a mobile library in the Northern Territory, a similar venture which had the support of its local council.
According to her mother Ariel, Averie is a fervent reader and loves ‘sharing with other kids the joy she finds in reading.’
“After seeing what had happened in Darwin, her words to me were “If they can do it, why can’t we do it?” She was so excited with the idea.”
Averie approached the Council through her parents and with the assistance of a $200 mayoral donation, set up the street library in Warrimoo Avenue at the Warrimoo Reserve playground.
The street library at Warrimoo Avenue is a brightly coloured purpose-built facility similar to a letterbox, which contains a store of books. Users can borrow a book and share those already read with others.
Ariel Yuan said her daughter is taking the responsibility of promoting the street library to her school and neighbourhood.
“She is also supplying books for exchange with all other interested kids and grownups.”
Mayor Jennifer Anderson visited the street library this week and complimented Averie on her initiative.
“There is still a lot of pleasure to be had from the simple act of reading a book. Averie deserves everyone’s congratulations for her idea which the Council was pleased to support.”