Free book bags for Laois children starting school this year
Any child in Laois leaving pre-school can visit their local library to get the free book bag as part of the Little Library Initiative.
The books and resources in the book bag are available in both English and Irish and will help support parents and their children as they embark on their new school journey.
The scheme is now available for children completing the Government funded pre-school programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education or ECCE programme, and starting primary school this September.
The book bags will be available in local libraries in Laois throughout the summer.
The initiative was first rolled out in 2022 and since then tens of thousands of young children have availed of the free book bags and joined their local library.
Last year alone, 20,000 young children benefited from the initiative and became library members.
Libraries in Laois are continuously growing in popularity among adults and children. The most recent statistics on the use of libraries in the county show that in March alone, 15,807 items were issued in Laois and this included 9,494 children’s items.
Commenting on the initiative, Laois TD Willie Aird said: “The scheme seeks to build strong links between young children, their families and their local library.
“These books and stories help each child prepare for this big step in transitioning to primary school. Books are a great way of helping parents support their children with their early language and literacy development.”
He added: “The bag contains books for the children to keep, with topics such as starting school, making friends and big emotions. It also has some very useful information for parents on supporting that start in primary school and what’s on offer at each local library.”
Commending the role of local libraries in supporting the initiative, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Jerry Buttimer said: “I warmly welcome the launch of the 2026 My Little Library Initiative.
“I’ve visited so many libraries around the country in the last year, and I know that our public library staff nationwide share my enthusiasm for connecting young families with our excellent national library service.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme