Did you know that you can find FREE books, magazines, and even games at a street library in Maroubra? It’s one of a handful of street libraries installed by Maroubra tutor and business owner, Harry Mavrolefteros, to help make learning materials more accessible to those who need them.
Mr Mavrolefteros is the owner of First Education, a tutoring facility for K to Year 12 students, and he decided to put up these street libraries at various sites in Eastern Sydney because of the pandemic lockdowns.
![](https://maroubranews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/850x350-Maroubra-1.png")
The passionate tutor stocks up the street libraries with free textbooks on Maths, English, and Science, which he has either bought out of pocket or received through donations. Mr Mavrolefteros said this is his way of letting the students and their parents know that support is available, as they cope with a unique learning experience amidst a public health crisis.
Some of the donations have also included “hardcore” Greek books that still appealed to readers. Mr Mavrolefteros, who is of Greek heritage, realised that no matter what books he adds to the library, it would be grabbed by a bookwork in a matter of days.
The locations of his street libraries are:
![](https://maroubranews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/850x350-Maroubra-2.png")
| SUBURB | STREET |
| Maroubra | below the First Education tutoring site at the corner of Anzac Parade and Boyce Road |
| Earlwood | next to the Earlwood Post Office on Homer Street |
| Bondi | on the corner of Bondi Road and Penkivil Street |
| Mascot | on Botany Road near the corner with King Street |
Mr Mavrolefteros established First Education in October 2010, above the Maroubra optometry shop of his parents. Aside from Maths, English, and Science, there are also debating classes and study sessions to prepare Year 12 kids for their final year in high school. The tutor believes that learning is a privilege, especially if the students find the right mentor.
Meanwhile, Street Library is a worldwide movement to encourage literacy and foster positive community engagement. In Australia, the Street Library movement aims to establish 5,000 street libraries by December 2021. As of November, the group has over 3,000 sites across the country.
