Issue 138

I love that I’m doing the most important job in the world. I’m helping to shape the minds and ideas of our future leaders. I’m sharing big ideas, like how to be courageous, and how failure is part of success, and how important it is to take action and do the things that scare you, so that your world grows bigger as you grow stronger. The Educational Lending Right program helps support all authors to keep creating quality stories for all Australian children.
- Cristy Burne

In Term 4, your school may receive an email from Education Services Australia (ESA) inviting you to participate in the 2026–27 Educational Lending Right (ELR) scheme. This survey, delivered by ESA on behalf of the Australian Government’s Office for the Arts, invites around 1,000 Australian schools to participate by providing a list of how many copies of specific book titles their libraries hold.

Faced with an email inbox already bursting at the digital seams, you may be tempted to ignore or hit ‘delete’, thinking it’s not important. But, in fact, ELR is one of the vital ways Australian ‘kid lit’ creators are able to earn a living income and build sustainable writing careers.

Here are some key reasons why you should fill out the ELR survey if the invitation lands in your inbox.

It compensates authors for the free use of their books in school libraries

You may have one or two copies of an author’s book in your school library, but it’s been borrowed hundreds of times, used for classroom study, and generated important discussion. Most importantly, it may have got children and teens excited about reading. However, the author was only paid once for the hard copy items on the school shelves.

It’s easy, simple and safe

For most schools invited to participate, the process is simple: just export the library data from your library management system (LMS) and attach the results to the survey link provided. Your invitation will include a supporting letter from the Australian Government’s Office for the Arts, details of the permission provided by your governing jurisdiction, and important details on how to complete the survey (it takes only around 5 to 10 minutes!). The survey does not audit your school or school’s student body; its sole aim is to estimate how many books by Australian authors are held across Australian schools.

You can win prizes

One of the great perks of providing feedback is that your school goes into the running for a $150 voucher or book pack.

It sends a message that reading, children’s authors and school libraries are important

By getting involved, you are becoming part of a greater discussion about literacy, education and imagination. Need more inspiration? Take it from some of our best-loved authors:

Hear more from Australian creators on our website. Find out more about ELR at Office for the Arts.

Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

If we do not pay book creators a proper income, then only those from privileged backgrounds will have the means to create and share stories and the literary scene will lack diversity. Our children will miss out on many wonderful and important stories.
- Katrina Nannestad