The amazing transformation a modern, inviting library and a place where everyone wants to be!

Who would have thought that a tonne of taffeta, a wad of wigs and a room full of bell bottom dress pants could bring an 80’s primary school library into the modern 21^st century? As with many P&C’s/P&F’s all you need is a good idea, a great driving committee and a whole lot of fun along the way to hold a successful fundraiser for a school project. Darkan Primary School in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia certainly did just that!

The School’s ‘Library Upgrade’ was certainly a big project to undertake. The library building, its furniture and equipment had been fitted out way back in the early 1980’s. At the time it suited district high school age students but certainly not the primary aged school children that use it today.

The old library before the Op Shop ball and upgrade

An ‘Op Shop Ball’ certainly wasn't an expensive affair given that you had to wear op shop clothes, decorate your table with op shop nick-nacks and bring your own nibbles! This definitely kept costs down and that way the majority of the ticket sales went straight to the library project.

With any P&C event, there is always the usual raffle or auction of donated goods. The Op Shop Ball auction proved to be a very unique and a very entertaining initiative. It helped to have a WA livestock auctioneer living in the town that skilfully drove up the highest prices from the very competitive bidders!

The auction was predominately made up of services and time. A waterskiing day on the local lake and ski lessons, three hours of machining or metal work, three hours of auto repairs, three hours of gardening, a family photo shoot and print, three hours of cleaning and a whole family of haircuts, just to name a few.

What parents are willing to do for the benefits of their children and their school!

The Op Shop Ball raised an amazing total amount of $8000. Not bad for a school with just under 80 children, a town of just over 200 people and an auction item list with less than 20 items.

The Darkan ‘Library Upgrade’ project also had a positive ripple effect within our community where other groups also then offered to donate funds to the school library, organisations such as the Lions Club, Basketball Club and CWA.

This is well and truly another success story and one we are more than happy to share. It brought our school and community closer and it brought our library well and truly out of the 80’s!