Distribution of lira vouchers to Nîmes families participating in the “Books for oneself” scheme. »
The Nîmes City Council (Photo Anthony Maurin)
In Nîmes, the Municipal Library has defined two directions to develop the early childhood offering. First of all, develop and/or strengthen actions to promote reading among parents of young children who are far from reading and/or in a precarious situation, and parents of children with disabilities. Then, structure a cultural and artistic education strategy, integrated into the daily lives of families.
For this, in 2024 and 2025, the Municipal Library is implementing the “Books for oneself” system, initiated and supported by the Montreuil Book and Youth Press Fair.
This system offers a training course in ten sessions for 20 families. These families were chosen by the associative partners of the Nîmes Library, involved in parenting support in particular.
The Nîmes City Council (Photo Anthony Maurin)
The objectives of the system are to raise awareness and “train” parents in reading, to rehabilitate them in their role of supporting their children in the written word and to reduce inequalities in access to culture in priority neighborhoods of city politics. It is also about taking part in actions to prevent illiteracy and installing an attractive and original “reading project” in social centers or local social structures in neighborhoods.
Within the course of 10 sessions, one gives rise to an outing to the bookstore for 20 families in order to create the beginnings of a personal library using lira vouchers. They are distributed by the City of Nîmes via its Municipal Library.
The purchase of lira vouchers represents an annual expenditure of 1,600 euros over the two years of implementation of the system, subject to the adoption of the City's 2025 budget.
In return, the implementation is accompanied by State participation via the Ministry of Culture. In 2024, this participation amounted to 6,500 euros. That requested for 2025 amounts to 4,600 euros.
