Library Lovers Day

Library Lovers Day gives libraries the opportunity to celebrate the social and academic benefits libraries bring to the community. At St Ursula’s we take this opportunity to welcome our staff and students to the library through our ‘Blind Date with a Book’ promotion. This year we had the theme of ‘Love at first line’, where staff and students were encouraged to come to the library at lunchtime and choose a wrapped book with the first line and genre as the only clues. It was a busy, exciting time as all borrowers also went home with a lollipop or chocolate.

This is one way that we connect with our students to encourage them to see the library as a welcoming space where books are valued and shared. As the ‘Understanding Australian readers’ report commissioned by Australia Reads says, ‘Reading has life-changing benefits. Research shows that readers sleep better, are less lonely, and are more likely to empathise with others. Reading reduces stress, strengthens our cognitive abilities, and can even extend our lives. High reading rates are globally acknowledged as a

sign of a healthy, democratic society.’ (Wright et al., 2025). We look forward to sharing the love of reading with all students throughout 2026.

Wright, B., Lennox, A., & Mata, F. (2025). Understanding Australian readers: Behavioural insights into recreational reading. Australia Reads. https://australiareads.org.au/research/understanding-australian-readers/

Elizabeth Lansdown
Resource & Information Coordinator