On the road with The Footpath Library

“Reading is so important,” says Philip. “It expands the mind – you use your imagination. All the furniture, all the characters, all the voices of the people, you have to think them up for yourself. You have to translate the words into a mind thing. You can be the architect of your imagination. I build the characters in my mind. There are voices that I can’t forget, I can remember them because I created them. Books take you to places.

“The people are beautiful, they are very caring and kind. They are not just giving away books; they are touching people’s lives.”

A library on the move

The Footpath Library operates regular mobile library services to provide quality books, reading glasses, and opportunities for social connection and inclusion for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

“There is a misconception that people experiencing homelessness are uneducated and don’t read; in fact, many of them are highly educated, are voracious readers and are experiencing homelessness through no fault of their own,” says The Footpath Library Founder and Managing Director Sarah Garnett. “A relationship breakdown, loss of a job or poor mental health can suddenly plunge someone into the precarious situation of being unhoused.

“Our readers have diverse taste in genres! They read everything from Australian history to memoirs, with dictionaries and National Geographic magazines being hugely popular.”

Building connections and community

Footpath Library vans visit around 25 regular locations across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, and give away more than 8,000 books every year.

“Our mobile library services are all different – some are held on the street, others in community centres, hubs, social housing complexes, health services,” says Sarah. “Our volunteers attend a designated location on a regular basis so that our readers get to know them and vice versa, which leads to an atmosphere of safety and calm.”

The Footpath Library received a Community Grant of $20,000 in December 2025 to support the mobile library program.

“Access to books gives people a distraction, an escape, a learning opportunity, something positive in an often-miserable everyday life,” says Sarah. “And the social connection offered can lead to improved mental health and sometimes, the courage and confidence to enrol in a course or apply for a job. We had one woman several years ago come to us and say that her reconnection with reading had led to her completing her HSC, at the age of 40, and enrolling in university studies.”

Anthony: “I like philosophical books”

“I come along and I love chatting to the volunteers about the books and other various community issues. I got Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance here, that was written in 23 languages, and it sold several million copies so without the volunteer bringing that to my attention, I wouldn’t have read that book. They are interested to know what books I like to read.

I might mention an author I like – such as Aldous Huxley – and they said they’d keep an eye out for me. But they might not be able to get them, so they suggest another book and sometimes I’ve taken them and really enjoyed them. They’ve been spot on.

The Footpath Library gives me the opportunity to read books I otherwise might not read. I like philosophical books and escaping from myself by reading. Reading is a form of escapism and relaxation.

The volunteers are very helpful in giving me beanies and reading glasses too.”

Kelly-Anne: “I find volunteering rewarding”

“I’ve been volunteering with The Footpath Library in Martin Place in Sydney for nearly four years.

One of the things I love about The Footpath Library is that I really find it rewarding but I know the people who come along like how we know their name, know how they like their tea and we have a little chat. It’s so much more than tea and coffee and a book that we offer. It’s a sense of community, the same people come back week after week, and you get to know them and their story. I love going along and seeing the regulars, it’s a huge part of why I love it, it’s a community.”

Macca: “It’s better than going to a library”

“The volunteers are really helpful and ask me what books I like, and if they can find it, they’ll find it for me. This is better than going to a library because they get more involved and see what you like and what you don’t like. When you go to a library the book isn’t there and you have to wait, here they make it friendly, the volunteers are always happy and cheerful and willing to help.”

About the Community Grants Program

Every year the Sisters of Charity Foundation provides grants to small not-for-profits across Australia, like The Footpath Library, that use clever ways to fight disadvantage, loneliness, suffering and oppression. Learn more at Community Grants Program.

Main photo: The Footpath Library Founder and Managing Director Sarah Garnett (right) at the Martin Place mobile library service.