Free Little Library Bags for all Wicklow Children Starting School in September 2024
FREE LITTLE LIBRARY BAGS FOR ALL WICKLOW CHildren STARTING SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER 2024
All children starting school in September 2024 throughout Wicklow can get a free Book Bag at their local library.
The ‘My Little Library Book Bag’ initiative is a collaboration between Libraries, the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of the First 5 Strategy.
As part of the initiative, a ‘My Little Library Book Bag’ is available free for every child starting school in 2024 to help them to prepare for this big step. They are available in both English and Irish, and children and their parents or guardians can collect the bags at any library throughout Wicklow.
Each My Little Library Book Bag contains:
- One book about either starting school, making friends or being comfortable to be yourself
- Their very own library card and special ‘My Little Library’ cardholder.
Inviting all children starting school this year to come and collect their Book Bag, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr. Paul O’Brien, said: “Wicklow County Council Library Service is thrilled to be part of the My Little Library initiative, seeing it as a vital step towards a love for reading and a passion for books.”
Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Emer O’Gorman, said: “Stories are so vital for children, helping them through so many stages in their lives, such as the excitement of starting school. Being involved in this initiative is very special for our library staff – to see each and every child receiving the gift of a book and to have the chance to introduce these children to what the entire library has to offer is a massive opportunity for libraries and for families”.
Librarians are keenly aware of the benefits that reading brings to children, and the staff across all thirteen of Wicklow’s branch libraries look forward to welcoming lots of new children in the coming months to collect their My Little Library Book Bag and to begin their library membership journey.
They hope that once they visit the library to pick up their book bag, the new library members and their families will come back regularly to keep their bag filled up with borrowed books and to take part in story times, workshops, and all the other wonderful events on offer at the library.
For more information about the ‘My Little Library Bag’ initiative and other library programmes, please visit https://www.librariesireland.ie/my-little-library or the Libraries section on wicklow.ie