A street library in Dee Why has earned praises from former prime minister Tony Abbot. Found along the quiet stretch of Tango Avenue, the community initiative has apparently existed for years but Mr Abbot said he has “never seen anything like this before.”
In a post on Twitter, Mr Abbot shared a video where he talked about the Tango Avenue Street Library in Dee Why.
“You read a book, you put it in here, and you take a book out,” Mr Abbot said.
“Reading is such a wonderful way of broadening the mind, it’s such a wonderful way of exploring parts of the world that you can never personally see, and, you know, isn’t it a great comment on the people of Warringah, something like this, which is an exercise in self-help.”
The former prime minister further described this commendable community effort as an “exercise in building social capital.”
It’s amazing the things you see and learn when you’re door knocking. The Tango Avenue street library is a testament to the strong community we have throughout Warringah. pic.twitter.com/njDpFinFWl
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) March 21, 2019
Following Mr Abbot’s viral video, a men’s walking group from Sydney decided to drop by the Tango Avenue Street Library last April to check out what books are currently for borrowing. Among the choices were “Baby Love,” “Las Vegas Babylon” and “Reboot.”
Hundreds of street libraries are actually found in Australia. There are at least 630 known sites in existence in Sydney alone, as per Street Library Organization.
People who borrow books from these street libraries can pass it on to their friends or put back in other networks. They may also unload their own stash if they are decluttering their book collection.
