The first chapter of the very popular Lifeline Canberra Bookfair for 2025 will be held in February with the hopes of launching a new mascot.

The Bookfair will run at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) from 7-9 February, where Lifeline Canberra CEO Carrie Leeson said the charity organisation will be launching their new Dare to Care Bear mascot.

“We launched him in a soft toy form late last year and we are having the mascot version made up,” Ms Leeson said.

“Hopefully he’ll be ready to meet and greet anyone that attends the Bookfair in February.”

Ms Leeson said the introduction of a mascot is part of the charity’s community engagement to encourage children to be caring.

“We’re noticing more, and the stats show, youth have hit barriers for care – that could have been the COVID-19 pandemic, which happened at an important time in their life, as well as (the lack of) access to youth services.”

“We’re finding the issues that concern us as adults also affect children.”

Ms Leeson said one of those issues was bullying.

“We want to encourage children to show kindness and care. And using the word ‘dare’ brings an edginess to being a caring person – one conversation they will dare to have.”

She said another purpose is to spark conversations between children and their parents around mental health.

“Some parents find it tough to have conversations with their children,” Ms Leeson said.

“Children find it hard to identify and have a conversation around how they’re feeling, how to identify how they’re feeling and communicate how they’re feeling with adults, carers or health professionals – to be able to get the help they need.”

Dare is expected to remain a mainstay for all of Lifeline Canberra’s community events.

Ms Leeson said the mascot will eventually be accompanied by a book, with the release of a new edition each year that focuses on a topic specific to what impacts children in Canberra at the time.

Ms Leeson said the money raised through the Bookfairs goes towards the 13 11 14 telephone support line, training and personal development of the volunteers, and new initiatives.

She said 900 volunteers work tirelessly all year round to support the community, as well as put the Bookfairs together.

“On the (Lifeline Canberra) phones or in the warehouse, pouring a lot of love and care to those donations,” she said.

A wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, including rare books and collectables, children’s books, textbooks and foreign language books will be on sale.

Other items on sale include magazines and pamphlets, sheet music, comics, maps, atlases, talking books, records, CDs, DVDs, games and jigsaws.

Ms Leeson said the Bookfairs held throughout the year are only possible because of the generous donations from community members.

“When it comes time to clearing things out, they think of Lifeline and what those donations can achieve for us,” she said.

Donations are accepted at the Book Lovers Lane store at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets 9am-4pm Thursday to Sunday, and at the Lifeline Canberra warehouse at 40 Heffernan Street in Mitchell, from 10am–2pm, Monday to Saturday. Larger donations and pick-ups can also be organised by calling the Lifeline Canberra office on 02 6171 6300.

When asked if there were any changes over the years with the introduction of eBook readers, Ms Leeson said there were more books published now than there were decades ago.

“So, we never have a shortage of donations or individuals wanting to buy books at a reasonable price,” she said.

Two more Bookfairs will be held this year, one at Greenway in June and another at EPIC in September.

“We receive an incredible number of first editions which is extremely exciting – first edition Superman comics, first edition Harry Potter books, and thousands of years old medical journals – some of them are still in good nick,” Ms Leeson said.

“We once received a diary from a war veteran, and it was someone who had received a bravery medal, so we passed that book onto the Australian War Memorial and it’s on display there.

“We never know what we’re going to receive.”

The Lifeline Canberra Bookfair will run at EPIC on Friday 7 February 9am-6pm, Saturday 8 February 9am-5pm and Sunday 9 February 9am-4pm.

Entry to the Bookfair is via gold coin donation.