27 November 2007

Superheroes Fly in for Summer Reading Club at Libraries Across Australia

[ pdf 76.6 KB ]

50,000 children across Australia will be flying into their local library to be part of the national Summer Reading Club over the summer holidays. Public libraries from Broome to Hobart will be participating in the club this year and it is expected that this year's theme of 'superheroes' will really take off when the Program begins on Saturday, 1 December 2007 with launches happening in public libraries across Australia.

The Summer Reading Club 2007 program, coordinated by the Australian Library and Information Association, is the first time the program is a national event. It has grown out of the traditional state-based programs held over the last several years and is based on significant input from dedicated children's librarians who volunteer to develop resources to promote the value of reading and literacy. The 2007 program is also supported by Encyclopedia Britannica, who have donated ipods to be awarded as prizes in each state.

"The Summer Reading Club extends across the whole summer to promote reading and reading-related activities to children aged 5 to 16 via their local libraries and a dedicated website," Sue Hutley, Executive Director of the Australian Library and Information Association said today.

"Public libraries are essential to the national effort to improve literacy skills in the community and this program is a great example of a program that improves skills through fun activities," Sue Hutley said.

A Summer Reading Club, Superheroes Read website has been set up for parents, children and librarians to access support material, activity ideas and competitions. For the latest information about the program go to http://www.summerreadingclub.org.au

Ends