By KIANA BROOKS-AMOR
TWO local women are defying the odds and spreading the love of reading throughout the Latrobe Valley.
Despite Australia’s poor reading skills according to the Grattan Institute, Stephanie Ridding built her ‘Yeah Nah Library’ community box on Hammond Street, Yinnar in April last year.
Just a few months ago, she met and inspired local high school teacher Tierney Evans to create Rogers Reads Library.
The two libraries welcome regular visitors and create opportunities for social connection.
The Yeah Nah Book Club evolved from there. Its members had never met each other in person before, but now encourage each others’ reading enthusiasm and catch up outside the book club.
Local resident and Yeah Nah Book Club member, Zoe Ryan visits both libraries fortnightly.
“I only just started reading books when Steph put hers [library] in,” Ms Ryan said.
“My husband’s always joking, ‘You’ve just learnt to read’.”
The success of these libraries is partly due to their modern style. Ms Ridding and Ms Evans accept book requests, use social media as well as guest books to engage with visitors, and allow visitors to take or donate.
“The goal of it is not to have it always functioning: taking one and leaving one. It’s more about inspiring people to enjoy reading in my community,” Ms Ridding said.
“If someone comes, never donates a book to my library, but grabs a bunch, takes them home and develops a love of reading, then that’s the purpose of my library; that would make me so happy to hear.”
Furthermore, the owners supply books they would recommend to friends rather than relying on donations alone.
Ms Evans said she hopes that free, good quality books attract and excite people back into reading.
“Everyone wants to be able to read. It’s just, you fall out of love with it because you haven’t read a good book in such a long time,” she said.
Local resident Leigh Albon, Ms Ryan, Ms Riddling and Ms Evans agree that readers feel less pressure to finish books they do not enjoy when the books are free.
Also, Ms Ridding said that the traditional size of the libraries meant visitors are “overwhelmed” with choices.
Mr Albon said that the community library format allows new readers to learn what genres they enjoy and what authors or series to look out for in bookstores.
Yeah Nah Library particularly caters to mums.
“For busy mums, it’s really hard sometimes to participate in hobbies and you can lose yourself in the early stages of motherhood. It was something I loved so much I wanted to share with others, particularly mums and women in my area,” Ms Ridding said.
She said that about three mums visit Yeah Nah Library every day.
Ms Ryan said that she wanted to commit to reading when she became a mum and Yeah Nah Library supported her goal.
“Now that I have a one-year-old, one of my favourite things is sitting down before bedtime and reading to him,” she said.
