Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about a global organisation which is doing incredible work and which is based in Indooroopilly in my electorate of Ryan. Library For All, as it's called, is a global team of contributors, authors, illustrators, educators and entrepreneurs with a passion for equality and knowledge sharing.

In 2010, Haiti was struck by a horribly destructive earthquake, as we all know. Library For All founder, Rebecca McDonald, and her husband were so moved by the images of suffering they saw that they packed up their life in Australia—a very brave decision—put up their hands to help and moved over there. It was on this humanitarian mission that Rebecca came up with the idea for Library For All. On her return in 2011, it was born as a free digital library, and today that library is giving children in the Pacific access to books and knowledge and, therefore, the opportunities that come with education and literacy. With access to quality educational material, including books, text books and learning resources, remaining a persistent challenge across the Pacific, their work is incredibly valued and much needed. We know that without a quality education, supported by diverse and age-appropriate books, these children in the Pacific face a lifetime of illiteracy and its consequences, like discrimination and poor health.

Last week I was joined by Alex Hawke, the member for Mitchell and Minister for International Development in the Pacific, as we visited the Library For All in the Ryan electorate. Speaking with Rebecca and her passionate team about what they have achieved in getting over 700 books into the hands of young kids was both humbling and inspiring. We spoke to the authors about the importance of their volunteering and their creating of books about subjects the kids can relate to and feel connected to. They work with local authors, who submit their books via Facebook. They then get global illustrators to illustrate the books. They also organise writers workshops with corporates who then go on to contribute books for the online library.

Recently they received a federal government grant through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to help them further the work they do. They used that funding to supplement their online library of over 700 books with kits of tablets that they have put into schools in PNG. The tablets are robust and designed to be taken between classrooms, and the kids are able to safely access the 700 books in the digital library. They're all downloaded and offline, so they are able to accesses the books safely and in an enjoyable way. This has given them incredible data about what the kids are reading and how that's helping with their literacy rates.

I'm very proud to be part of a government that can support not-for-profit organisations like Library For All. I'm very proud to stand in this place and highlight the work of these great local entrepreneurs. I would really encourage members of the House and members of the public who are watching to have a look, go online, support Library For All and, if you want to, have a go at contributing to their library.