LIBRARIES are better known for their quiet atmosphere and generally booky nature.
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But last Friday Wingham Library played host to a group of 'bikies' calling themselves the "mild ones."
The riders had come into town as part of a 700km round trip for their Easy Rider Tour. They are a group of librarians on a mission to raise awareness of libraries and the good work they do to help with the literacy of our children.
Riding under the banner of Biblio Turismo the ride is in its eighth year and the riders have so far stopped at almost half of all libraries in NSW.
2013 proved to be the lucky year for Wingham - with riders coming from Forster via Krambach and Burrell Creek and travelling on the worst sealed roads they said they have encountered in eight years of touring.
They might not have been able to offer them a smooth ride, but librarian Sheryl Amos and library assistant Jess Hadwell were able to welcome the riders to Wingham's well-stocked library.
Morning tea was provided and a welcome cold drink in the heat. In true book-lover style the riders couldn't wait to forage around the library shelves and were soon nose deep in bike magazines and children's literature.
The riders are all passionate about libraries and helping the younger generation to have access to books.
According to tour leader Alan Flores 47 per cent of the population of Australia are functionally illiterate and cannot read a recipe or a medicine bottle. It is a statistic that is not widely known and Alan and his crew are working hard to raise awareness.
You can help Alan and his "mild ones" by simply going to the library and borrowing a book.
You can also follow their journey on www.biblio-?turismo.blogspot.com