Rachel Cody, supervisor at the Leeton Shire Council Library has successfully secured an Australia-wide grant through Australia Reads - a not-for-profit initiative of the Australian books industry that encourages more people to read, more often.

The Leeton Library was one of just 27 libraries across Australia to receive funding.

With the grant, Rachel invited Meredith Costain, a children’s author from Gippsland, to speak with local primary school students.

Despite travel challenges caused by cancelled Melbourne-Wagga flights, Meredith still made the trip via Sydney – and it was absolutely worth it.

She visited students from schools across the area, including smaller schools, and was a delight, inspiring many children to enjoy reading.

Even better, Meredith did not charge the full amount for her visit, which means there are still grant funds available. Rachel is now hoping to build on that support by reaching out to service clubs, with the goal of purchasing a book for every primary school student in the area.

With 1151 children to reach, it’s a big but meaningful goal – helping every child have the chance to own a book of their own.

Rachel also shared some great library initiatives already underway, including placing books at the Yanco Store and continuing the home library delivery service run by volunteers.

The library is also running a community survey to help improve services. If you’d like to have your say, the form is available at the library and online through the library’s survey page.