Cork County Council Library and Arts Service Welcome New School Students with Free “Little Library Book Bag”

Mayor Joe Carroll holding bag inside library

Cork County Council Library and Arts Service has announced the return of the ‘My Little Library Book Bag’ initiative for all children starting primary school this September.

Libraries across the county are now inviting children starting school this Autumn to visit their local library, collect their book bag and begin their library membership journey.

The book bags are designed to help support parents and children in the transition to primary school. The bag includes books, in both Irish and English, about starting school, making friends and being confident. Each bag also contains free library membership with a specially designed little library card wallet.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll announced the return of the much-loved initiative, 

The Council’s Library and Arts Service is delighted to once again welcome families in celebration of this important milestone. We hope that once they visit the library to pick up their book bag, our new library members and their families will visit regularly to keep their bag filled up with borrowed books and to take part in story time sessions, classes and all of the fun events our libraries host throughout the year.

Children and their parents or guardians can collect their My Little Library Book Bag at their local library from the 9th of May 2025.

The ‘My Little Library Book Bag’ initiative is a collaboration between libraries, the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of the First 5 Strategy.