LOXTON North School was one of 14 schools statewide to be part of a program trialling a shared library, which was launched last week.
The school launched its Raising Literacy Shared Library last Wednesday, with stories and activities for children along with talks from guest speakers and morning tea.
The shared library is open to any parents and young children to borrow from, with books suitable for babies and toddlers.
Loxton North School principal Vanessa Wainwright described the borrowing process as “nice and simple”.
“Parents can come into occasional care on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays and take home a book of their choice,” she said.
“There’s no need to wait for a staff member to come and check out the book because it’s different from an ordinary library.
“Children can explore the books on offer, take them away, share them and keep them for as long as they desire.
“If they have the books for three weeks, it’s no problem.
“If they lose a book or they get ripped or drooled on, it’s also no problem because we can replace it.”
Ms Wainwright said although the school already has a library, having the shared library was important because it caters for a younger demographic.
“We encourage preschool families to borrow literacy packs from the library but the shared library has become a great addition because like most primary school libraries, they cater for children from reception to year 7,” she said.
“The shared library is in the right area, it’s convenient and has the right stuff for younger age groups.
“Literacy and numeracy starts from unborn – hearing the voice, volume and pitch is the first part of literacy.
“These books cater for just that and it’s fantastic.”
Ms Wainwright said there was a “huge range” of books.
“The books at the shared library cater for children from zero to three,” she said.
“There are touch-and-feel books for kids but also, there are books for parents.
“The books for parents will be great during times like these as there are some with gardening ideas and STEM activities they can do with their kids.”
Ms Wainwright thanked the school community for its support.
“The response so far has been great and it was wonderful to see so many families come out to our launch,” she said.
“It’s nice to come together in a safe place during times like these and restrictions were respected and followed.”