Yeppoon State High School and Council collaborate to deliver a third Street Library in Livingstone!

Livingstone Shire Council is proud to announce the installation of a Street Library outside The Hub in Yeppoon’s Beaman Park, made possible through a collaboration with Yeppoon State High School (YSHS).

This special community project, which began in November last year, has come to fruition thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of both Council staff and the passionate teachers and students at Yeppoon State High School.

The Street Library is a nation-wide initiative, creating little literary hubs designed to cultivate a love for books among people of all ages while encouraging a sense of community spirit.

Council’s Supervisor of Parks and Open Spaces Communities Bryce Walker, said he was thrilled to be part of the project.

“Yeppoon State High School reached out to Council late last year to see if it could collaborate on finding a location and installing a third Street Library," Mr Walker said.

“I had the pleasure of meeting with teacher Andrew Willis from Yeppoon State High School, Yasmin – the talented young lady who helped build the street library – along with key staff from both the school and The Hub, to bring this project to life.

“It's incredibly rewarding to see it all come together.

“A big thank you to Andrew and Loc from the LSC workshop for making the base, and to my manager Sharon for her support. Special thanks go to YSHS teachers Andrew Willis and Tony Wellspring, whose passion for helping young folks is truly infectious.”

Co-Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee Councillor Lance Warcon, highlighted the importance of community involvement in projects like these.

“This Street Library is a testament to the power of collaboration. It's not just about installing a book-sharing hub – it's about creating a space that fosters a love for reading and strengthens community bonds,” Councillor Warcon said.

“Council is proud to have supported Yeppoon State High School in bringing this wonderful idea to life, and we look forward to seeing it become a cherished resource for our community.”

Yeppoon State High School student Yasmin Turner who assisted in the build of the Street Library said she enjoyed the challenge of using scrap and left over material to build the Street Library.

“I love engineering and building new things and this project was an opportunity to build something interesting, unique and to build it from scratch. My teacher Welly, (Mr Tony Wellspring), and I got to design and plan the construction, then build as we went,” Yasmin said.

Yeppoon State High School teacher Andrew Willis said he was incredibly proud of the relationship between Council, Yeppoon State High School and the YSHS Student Action Group.

“Our Street Library project is a clear demonstration and message to our wider community of how awesome our youth and students at Yeppoon State High School as well as across the Capricorn Coast region are,” Mr Willis said. 

“As a teacher I’m privileged to work with the YSHS Student Action Group, I am immensely proud of all they do and offer.

“Their courage to seek ways to improve not just our school, also our wider community, to engage with the many different agencies and business, to commit their time and care, to speak in front of over 1000 people, to voice their passions to help others and to support each other from all year levels along the journey is simply energising and inspiring.”

Recreation and Culture Committee Co-Chair, Councillor Andrea Friend, expressed her excitement about the project’s recent completion.

“The Street Library is now registered with the national Street Libraries database, complete with a story detailing its creation and the partnership between Council and Yeppoon State High School,” Cr Friend said.

“A QR code will soon be attached to the front of the Street Library, providing easy access to this information.

“Council encourages everyone to visit the new Street Library, take a book, share a book, or donate a book in good condition.

“Together, we can continue to promote a shared love for reading and create a stronger sense of community in Livingstone Shire.”

The books being provided in the library have been collected as an ongoing Yeppoon State High School book drive, coming from teachers, parents, and the Yeppoon State High School Library.

Livingstone Shire’s additional Steet Libraries can be found outside the Yeppoon Information Centre and the Farnborough General Store. 

For more information on the Street Library initiative please visit, https://streetlibrary.org.au/