Moss Bank Library to host World Book Day community token exchange hub to help reach more young readers
St Helens Borough Council's Library Service will be part of a nationwide community book distribution project, bringing books and the enjoyment of reading to local children, as part of this year's World Book Day celebrations.
Article date: 5 February 2026
The Library Service will be receiving a share of 400,000 copies of the World Book Day £1 books to distribute to local children, helping more children discover reading for fun.
As a World Book Day community token exchange hub - a partnership with the charity and made possible with support from National Year of Reading and World of Books - Moss Bank Library at the North Community Hub on Kentmere Avenue will be offering children the opportunity to exchange their £1 World Book Day book token for a book of their choice - for free.
Families can redeem their tokens in exchange for the books from Thursday 12th February till Sunday 15th March at Moss Bank Library.
Councillor Sue Murphy MBE, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Localities, Culture and Heritage, said:
"We are excited to be selected as a community token exchange hub for World Book Day. Reading is a gift that opens so many doors so we're hopeful that this initiative will be a catalyst for longer-term engagement with our Library Service, and that the children we reach will develop a new-found love of books and reading."
Alongside the national World Book Day celebration on Thursday 6th March 2025, St Helens Library Service will also be hosting a series of after-school 'World Book Day Exchange Extravaganzas' during the exchange window - all with World Book Day's unique fun and celebratory atmosphere.
The creative crafts events will be held each Thursday in the lead up to World Book Day, on the 12th, 19th, and 26th February, and the 5th and 12th March, 3:30-4:30pm, Moss Bank Library.
World Book Day's community book distribution project is part of the charity's mission to improve children's access to books and provide them with opportunities to develop a lifelong habit of reading for fun.
Reading for fun is the single biggest indicator of a child's future success - more than family circumstances, parents' educational background and their income - but research from National Literacy Trust found that just 1 in 3 (34.6%) children now say they enjoy reading.
This is the lowest level since 2005, and reading enjoyment is lowest among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. With up to one million children in the UK never owning a book, the charity is working in areas with above-average percentages of children receiving Pupil Premium support, and limited access to local bookshops.
Fiona Hickley, Executive Director of World Book Day adds: "With reading for fun at its lowest level since 2005, our charity's mission to change lives through a love of reading is more vital than ever. We are grateful to National Year of Reading, World of Books and our partner publishers, and our community book distribution partners for their generous support to help bring books to children across the country. We look forward to seeing more children enjoy their reading adventures this World Book Day."
Visit www.worldbookday.com for more information.