ILF’s longest standing program has seen 1 million books reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across remote Australia.
“Invitations to order from the first release of ILF’s Book Supply program went out in March and we were, as usual, inundated with orders,” says ILF’s Book Supply manager, Brad Gambetta.
The ILF is delighted to announce that, among the deliveries that arrived in remote Communities from the end of April, was the 1 millionth book to have been delivered via Book Supply.
For many years, the Book Supply program has provided culturally relevant and safe books to remote Communities around Australia and this achievement is a testament to its ongoing value seen by the Communities and Australia’s publishing industry.
Our Book Supply program has now delivered over 1 million books to remote Communities around Australia. We are celebrating this milestone in Katherine, NT, where Book Supply is a long-standing and important program. The Katherine region has been a massive part of Book Supply over the years.
Cindy Manfong is ILF’s previous Book Supply Coordinator and current Publishing Projects Editor, as well as being proudly from Katherine Community.
Reflecting on this milestone, Cindy says “Since I started with the ILF in 2016, Katherine has always been the central hub of the region. Communities all around it would have to get their packs sent to the local post office and then filtered out to their Communities.”
“The Book Supply program is so important because the books we add in those packs are reviewed by committee members and are selected carefully. Over 50% of the titles are written or illustrated by First Nations people and these books are so important because they are culturally relevant and it allows kids to see themselves reflected in these stories.
In 2004, ILF Founder Suzy Wilson AM launched the Riverbend Readers’ Challenge, with the aim of raising funds to provide books and literacy opportunities to remote Australia. With the funds raised, Suzy bought books and resources and gifted them to 3 remote Communities. This work has transformed into the Book Supply program, supporting over 495 Communities throughout Australia to have access to new, culturally relevant and safe books.
The success of the Book Supply program can be attributed to all those who have been involved in shaping, supporting and working on it over the years.
Tina Raye was the Programs Manager, then Director, at the ILF from 2013 to 2021.
Tina has been an absolutely instrumental part of the program since its inception and foundational to its growth in recent years.
Reflecting on this milestone, Tina says “Things changed and evolved so much in the Book Supply program over the years, and its been amazing to be a part of it.
Tina attributes the program's success to the people who have pioneered it, as well as the incredible Communities and kids that have shaped it.
“I have seen so many wonderful people be part of the process of selecting books, distributing books, and then reading and enjoying those books in Community. We’ve had people support this program in the early years from the Book Industry, who’s knowledge of children’s books was unreal.
This gave us such insight into what we should select. So many Publishers have been a part of it, not to mention the Educators, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educators and Community members. This diverse range of people involved has ensured that the selection of books has been refined and curated over the years,” says Tina.
The most special part of Book Supply to Tina is the reaction you see in the kids when they receive the books.
“Years ago we were in APY Lands distributing books to kids and facilitating illustrating workshops,” Tina says. “We had all the books on display for the kids to choose from, like a little bookshop. We didn't rush them through it, they were allowed time to think about what they wanted to take home.
In the afternoon, all the big kids were off playing football but there was one boy who the teachers said had been a really reluctant reader. He spent a lot of time looking through the books until he found the one he wanted, Brenton Mckenna’s Ubby’s Underdogs which is a Graphic Novel.
The boy sat and started pouring into that book.” Tina believes it is “so inspiring to see how access to books can really encourage reading and the kids could find something they really wanted to read.”
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She continues, “On an Ambassador Trip to the Tiwi Islands one year when I saw a young boy, about 7 years old, pick up a Guinness World Record book and another large book to take home. His new bags of books were so heavy, the young boy’s friend helped him carry them home. It was very cute”
“It’s times like these that you realise, in cities we take our books for granted. You have opportunities to read because of libraries, book stores, shops, and more. Books are everywhere. So when you can try to give kids in the bush these experiences where they have the opportunity to pick their own books to take home, it's so special.
“That was always the most exciting thing about Book Supply. We all know that books can create a whole different world and open up so many stories, adventures, and knowledge.”
“And the impact of Book Supply has been ongoing since it started. Just yesterday I was in Port Augusta visiting a local school and as soon as I walked in the library, I saw these 8 boxes of Book Supply packs. When I visit remote schools, I can see the many books with the ILF sticker from the years. You can see the selection of new books that some places are getting every year and they're all from ILF. And you wonder, if they didn't have this available to them, what would they have in their libraries and their shared spaces?”
The ILF can’t thank Tina enough for her incredible contribution to the Book Supply program. All of the staff at ILF still feel the effects of her work in the connections we have to so many remote Communities.
“Even though I left ILF, I still feel part of it,” says Tina.
The Book Supply program is about getting books into libraries, homes, and schools, and it's also about advocating for Communities and First Nations peoples, in the following ways.
A committee selects the books for the packs each year, representatives from the book industry, Community members, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators, and ILF staff who have worked in the program.
Because the books selected are always culturally relevant, and over 50% are by First Nations creators, this program encourages Australian publishing houses to publish more books by First Nations authors and illustrators.
Tina Raye says, “I believe that Book Supply and the ILF has influenced the Publishing Industry and created opportunities for Indigenous authors and illustrators and probably even had an impact on other Indigenous publishers. Now more than ever there is a demand for First Nations books and I think ILF has played an important role in that.”
This First Nations representation also supports the next generation of storytellers to become authors and illustrators. They see stories written through ILF’s Community Publishing program, and other stories by First Nations creators, encouraging them to write their own stories.
This program would not be possible without the incredibly generous support from Australia Post. The team at Australia Post has delivered books to remote Communities since the beginning of our partnership in 2020.
And this program is also very special to the team at Australia Post.
“Australia Post proudly supports the Indigenous Literacy Foundation by using its vast network to deliver the Book Supply program to 495 Communities around Australia. Congratulations to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation on the magnificent milestone of delivering one million culturally relevant books to remote First Nations Communities,” says Nicky Tracey, Australia Post General Manager Community and Stakeholder Engagement.
The ILF has worked with 495 Communities throughout Australia in our Book Supply program.
This program has spread through all states and territories, and been in some Communities for 10 years.
Seeba, ILF’s previous coordinator of the program, believes that "(the) Book Supply program has given remote Communities the opportunity to build big dreams."
The ILF is extremely grateful to the long list of people who have supported us over the years, enabling us to reach this milestone. We could not have delivered these books without the generous donors, Communities, partners, Board members, Ambassadors, and volunteers. All those who have participated in the ILF since its inception have played a role in Book Supply and the 1 million books now in remote Communities.
Ben Bowen, ILF CEO, says "It was not too long ago that the discussion was about no books being available in remote Communities across Australia and today we are proud to announce the 1 millionth culturally relevant book landing in the hands of Community.
This scale of this achievement means access to libraries of books, homes with shelves of books, generations of readers sharing the experience of reading and storytelling.”
This milestone is the mark of the Foundation for the future of a program that is only growing due to the aspirations and drive of now 495 remote Communities," says Ben.
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Written by Ella Schofield
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