Premier’s Reading Challenge Funding Bolsters Collection

Published on 24 November 2025

Each year, the Premier’s Reading Challenge in Victoria provides funding to public libraries to purchase books, replenish their collections, and ensure children and young people have access to books. This helps libraries to stock up on popular new titles and leaves a legacy by strengthening the long-term reading resources for young people in the community.

Hindmarsh Shire Libraries has been awarded just over $5,000 of the $1.1 million allocation for the 2025/2026 financial year.

The funds have allowed our small library service to bolster our collection of physical and digital resources specifically for young people. On the ‘BorrowBox’ platform, we have purchased leading and popular titles in three formats: e-Books (a digital version of the book to read), e-Audiobooks (listen to these books being read to you) and, for the first time, Read-along digital audio books (both the book image and text are displayed and is read along to you at the same time).

The new titles and increase to our collection will also prove to be a great opportunity for more young people to participate in the upcoming ‘Big Summer Read’ which runs from 1 December 2025 until 31 January 2026 – more information will be provided in coming weeks!

Community members can access BorrowBox for FREE as part of their Hindmarsh Shire Libraries membership. Don’t have a membership yet? Pop into your local library branch and chat with one of our team members to sign up and access BorrowBox on a digital device.

For more information, please contact Hannah Coles, Coordinator Libraries and Customer Service on (03) 5391 4444, or email libraries@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

Monica Revell
Chief Executive Officer