It's a Street Library, part of a revolution which has sprung up in front yards, public parks and streets throughout the country.

Neighbours, commuters and people passing by are welcome to stop and browse an everchanging selection of popular novels, non-fiction books, biographies, travel guides and a huge variety of children's books, all stacked neatly in tiers in two brightly painted cupboards.

Sometimes there are literary treasures from Australian writer Tim Winton or technical manuals on lawn mowers.

There might be illustrated classics such as The Field Guide to Australian Native Birds.

The books are free to borrow and can either be returned or exchanged for another book.

Green Point Community Association, presidet, Gaye Tindall came up with the idea and asked the clever carpenters at the Wallis Lake Men's Shed to construct a box from recycled timbers and whatever was lying around in the workshop and create a street library for Green Point.

The result was not only inventive but fun.

Green Point is one of many local communities embracing the trend, which is based on The Little Library Movement in the US.

Founder Todd Bol installed a library inside a miniature model of a school house on his front lawn in Wisconsin nine years ago as a tribute to his mother, a former teacher and bookworm.

When it became a neighbourhood hit, he realised that people were craving conversation as much as books.

Library and books come to our street

Mrs Tindall said the library was a perfect extension to the children's playground where the kids can sit down and read the books.

"Promoting reading can become a lifetime love of literature."

Local Green Point volunteers gave it the last magic touch by painting the panels and motifs in bright colours.

The Great Lakes has three street libraries in Tuncurry, Coomba Park and Bulahdelah.

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