With the co-operation and full support of the parish priest at the time, Fr John Ford, the library was opened in 1983 with approximately 40 books and a few teaching cassettes.
We now have more than 2200 books, 200 teaching cassettes, music tapes, videos, DVDs and magazines.
Categories include biographies, autobiographies, saints, family and self-growth, prayer and meditation, Church history, liturgy and Death and Dying. New Books and other items are regularly bought with Parish funds or donated. This ensures that it is always up to date and interesting for parishioners.
Volunteers are rostered after each Mass at Maria Regina Church Avalon on the weekends and the library is also open after week day Masses. The books and other items are lent free for one month to adults studying theology, young inquiring people and anybody who wants a good read.
To encourage people to borrow more, a library review on a book, DVD or other item is regularly printed in the parish bulletin. This encourages new parishioners and informs others about recent additions.
The library is computerised with a librarian to help you and you can browse our book collection online, on this website. To register as a borrower all you need to do is give your telephone number and address to the Librarian.
Just prior to opening the library, I was going through a change in my faith journey and had an insatiable thirst for reading, especially autobiographies and the stories of the saints. I read nearly every religious book friends in Avalon could lend me, then wondered where to turn for more, when the idea of a parish library came to me.
I also felt that this was a great opportunity for others as it was obvious to me that all this reading had changed my life for the better and surely there were more like me seeking guidance – here it is at hand. Consequently, what started as a selfish reason ended up an idea to benefit all.
All are welcome to come and browse.
Trish Newman
Editorial Note: Trish has been running this library continually for over THIRTY years. Well done Trish!