The Government has taken the first step towards providing free school books for children at the primary level with a €1 million pilot project which will benefit more than 60,000 students.
The Children’s Minister, Roderic O’Gorman announced the roll-out of the First 5 My Little Library Initiative. The initiative will see more than 60,000 children starting school in September invited to collect a free book bag and join their local library, with participating children and their parents receiving an invitation in the coming days.
The First 5 My Little Library Initiative will:
• Provide a My Little Library book bag to every child starting school in September for collection in libraries across the country.
• Offer free library membership, with a specially designed Little Library card wallet, for the children.
• Encourage free membership and use of the library to all children and adults in the family.
• Include transition information for parents with each bag to support children on their learning journey.
• Offer book bags in Irish and English.
Speaking about the project, Minister O’Gorman said:
“Children’s books open really important pathways to learning about friendship, love and adventure, and allow children to expand their worlds with wonder and curiosity. By introducing children to reading at an early age, we can help to inspire young minds and open them up to a world of possibilities.”
The project is a collaboration between the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), local authorities and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).
Invitations for parents and children to My Little Library and other information on supporting transitions available on the Let’s Get Ready page on www.Gov.ie
The distribution of the First 5 My Little Library is being managed by the Local Government Management Agency, with book bags and resources to issue to libraries from today, ready to be collected by parents and children from Monday (April 4th).