Donate to ILP
Register your school for the GBS

The Great Book Swap for Schools

Can you imagine going through life with the literacy skills of a six-year old? Sadly, this is a reality for many Indigenous Australians living in remote communities today. Being a reader is fundamental to learning and opens doors to the future.

Now your school can help buy books and literacy resources for Indigenous children living in remote communities and make that future a reality for them by getting involved in the 2010 Great Book Swap and raising funds.

The Great Book Swap is an initiative that links literacy across the curriculum and provides a multiple discipline focus for your school.

What is it?

The Great Book Swap is a simple fundraising idea. Students and staff donate one of their favourite books and pay a gold coin donation to swap it for someone else’s book.

When is it?

Make your Great Book Swap part of Children’s Book Week (21 - 27 August) or National Literacy and Numeracy Week (29 August - 4 September). You could also consider Indigenous Literacy Day (1 September). Or your school may choose to fundraise at any time throughout the school year. Be sure to register!

How does it work?

  1. Register here. We will send you a ‘How to' kit.
  2. Choose the day for your fundraiser.
  3. Invite your participants– students, teachers, staff, parents to choose one of their favourite books to place in the swap.  You may wish to ask them to record why they cherish the book on a GBS bookplate that can be included with the book.
  4. Ask your participants to bring their book(s) to school in advance of your swap. Display the books and hold discussions about them.
  5. Perhaps you could invite a local author or high profile person in your community to swap their favourite book with you too!  Why not add include some extra activities on the day. For example:
    • Ask the school staff to recommend their favourite books and ask them to read passages.
    • Invite a local author to speak at your school on the day.
    • Get school bookclubs or classes to read a book from the Indigenous reading list .
  6. On your swap day display the books brought by participants on a ‘shop’ table.
  7. Send the collected money to ILP (click here for submission options).

Raising money on Indigenous Literacy Day

We hope that schools will use the The Great Book Swap to raise funds to address the current crisis in Indigenous literacy.

Schools can help by holding The Great Book Swap  or run another fundraising project (e.g. a raffle or literary soirée).   In the past The Indigenous Literacy Project has suggested a $5 donation per participant for your own activities but you are free to vary this.

Testimonials for The Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) and The Great Book Swap

‘It is a pleasure to be involved in raising funds for THE INDIGENOUS LITERACY PROJECT. At Genazzano FCJ College social justice issues are an integral aspect of the school's educational objectives. ILP allows the girls to be involved in a very hands-on way with raising awareness and more practically, funds for communities of Australians who are in need. As a library service, it is important to us that we see a strong link between these fundraising efforts and the value we place on literacy in the lives of all young Australians.’

Dr Susan La Marca
Head of Library and Information Services
Genazzano FCJ College, Victoria

‘The Great Book Swap is a real winner for everybody. Children of all ages find great joy in sharing their favorite books with others. All the swappers pick up a bargain that will give them endless pleasure as they read it and we all make a real contribution to closing the gap in Indigenous literacy. Make a date for the Great Book Swap at your school.’

Norm Hart
State President
Queensland Association of State School Principals Inc

‘The Great Book Swap is a fantastic idea - to give away something as precious as a book you have loved requires thought and generosity. I know some girls agonised for days but knowing that you are raising money to buy books for children who have not had the same access to literature, and getting a book for yourself into the bargain that might one day be a new favourite, is very special.’

Jacquie Harvey
Deputy Head Junior School
Abbotsleigh, NSW

‘I've been a T-L for 20 years in many and varied locations and have never experienced such enthusiasm and excitement for books as I did on our ILP morning. The library was a mosh pit! The whole event was too easy to organize. There were a tables for adults, teens, tweens and younger readers. Everyone went away happy as there is nothing as satisfying as owning a book. An obvious outcome is that as a community we're contributing to literacy in the indigenous community, but also it brought parents into the library and children had ownership of a book. A win win all around.’

Andrea Anderson
Teacher Librarian
Seven Hills State School, QLD