Brothers and Books

Brothers and Books The Australian Bibliotherapy Foundation official charity account.

We create community libraries for organisations all over Australia and support mental well-being through books and reading (bibliotherapy)

After 5 and a half years Brothers and Books is officially winding down as a charity :(While this is a difficult announce...
22/03/2026

After 5 and a half years Brothers and Books is officially winding down as a charity :(

While this is a difficult announcement, I’m incredibly proud of everything we have achieved. What started as one person using books to build resilience grew into a national initiative that helped thousands of people engage with reading and support their mental wellbeing, not to mention over 150 organisations doing the same for their teams.

To all of our supporters, donors, partners, and volunteers, thank you. None of this would have been possible without you. Your support turned a simple idea into something that genuinely made an impact.

We will continue to use our remaining funds to deliver a small number of community libraries, but we will no longer be accepting new donations or library requests and our website will cease running on the 01 May 2026.

Running the charity on a purely volunteer basis for over half a decade, combined with increasing demand, has made it unsustainable for us to continue at the level required on a purely volunteer basis. This decision comes from wanting to be responsible and honest about what we can realistically maintain without putting undue pressure on our volunteers and sponsors.

I’m grateful for everything this journey has taught me and for the incredible people I’ve met along the way. The community that has been brothers and books is nothing short of legendary and there has been so many connections spring up through peoples shared love of reading.

I still strongly believe in the value of community libraries in workplaces and accessible resources that support both personal development and mental wellbeing. While this vision won’t continue through Brothers and Books, I have no doubt others will carry it forward.

Thank you again to everyone who was part of this journey and helped make reading cool.

Obviously this is not the best news so no doubt lots of people will be reaching out to the organisation we just ask for patience if you do so we can make sure we get back to everybody.

Dylan Conway
Founder / chief book volunteer.

📚 Coffs Harbour Police Station Community Library 📚“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge. It is th...
02/03/2026

📚 Coffs Harbour Police Station Community Library 📚

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge. It is thinking that makes what we read ours.”
John Locke

Good policing relies on steady judgment and clear thinking.

The newest community library at Coffs Harbour Police Station provides a practical space for officers and staff to step back from the pace of the job, focus, and continue building their capability. A place to read, reflect, invest in professional growth and mindfulness.

Well done to those who made it happen, and to the members at Coffs Harbour serving their community day in and day out 💙 📚

Our latest community library for the NSW Child Abuse Squad!“A single book has saved many a city.”– HerodotusWe recently ...
01/03/2026

Our latest community library for the NSW Child Abuse Squad!

“A single book has saved many a city.”
– Herodotus

We recently wrapped up this inspiring setup for another NSW CAS unit, one of several we’ve delivered for regional child protection units this year!

CAS stands on the front line of child protection; disrupting abuse, securing evidence, and giving a voice to the voiceless. One well-timed read can restore focus, rebuild strength, and remind them why they serve. That’s the mission we’re backing. Their work is instrumental and we are so glad the units are taking advantage of our libraries to better their ability to do their very important jobs.

A huge shoutout to our partners, particularly who has helped us set up all the NSW CAS libraries. We couldn’t do this without them!

📚 Space and Cyber Career Management Community Library 📚“Satellites are the nervous system of modern military power.”- Jo...
28/02/2026

📚 Space and Cyber Career Management Community Library 📚

“Satellites are the nervous system of modern military power.”
- Joan Freese

Capability in space and cyber begins with people.

The Space and Cyber Career Management team shapes and sustains the workforce operating in two of the most complex and fast moving domains. Their work ensures talent is developed, guided, and positioned to meet evolving challenges with precision and foresight.

This community library provides a dedicated space for professional growth, strategic thinking, and continuous learning. In domains defined by rapid change, knowledge and clarity are decisive advantages.

A special thank you to WO1 P for championing this initiative and driving it forward with her team. Your leadership has made a lasting impact 👏 🇦🇺

📚 Nambour Police Station Community Library 📚“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”PlutarchPo...
27/02/2026

📚 Nambour Police Station Community Library 📚

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
Plutarch

Policing demands clarity, composure, and sound judgment.

At Nambour Police Station, this community library provides more than professional development. It offers a quiet space for focus, reflection, and mindfulness amid the pace of operational policing. A place to reset, think deliberately, and strengthen both capability and character.

Continual learning sharpens decision making and supports long term resilience.

Thank you to the team who made it possible, and to the members at Nambour who serve their community each day.

As always this Emergency Service Community Library also comes with resources from a national charity aimed at supporting our Emergency Service personnel’s mental wellbeing and we couldn’t do it without them 💙🇦🇺

📚 Newcastle Child Abuse Squad Community Library 📚“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”Martin Luther Ki...
27/02/2026

📚 Newcastle Child Abuse Squad Community Library 📚

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Some roles demand quiet strength.

The Newcastle Child Abuse Squad carries responsibility that is rarely seen and often heavy. Their work requires patience, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to protecting the vulnerable.

This community library provides a place to pause, reflect, and continue developing the knowledge and resilience required for such important duties. Reading strengthens judgment, sharpens thinking, and supports the long-term wellbeing of those who serve in demanding roles.

Thank you for the work you do, often unnoticed but deeply important. A special thanks to as well who have supported the entirety of the NSW CAS team receive these community libraries in support of our men and women in Blue 💙🇦🇺

📚 1st Intelligence Company Community Library 📚“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”Sun TzuKn...
26/02/2026

📚 1st Intelligence Company Community Library 📚

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Sun Tzu

Knowledge is a force multiplier.

Located within the Army’s Intelligence Corps at 1st Intelligence Battalion, this community library supports the men and women who provide commanders with clarity in uncertainty. Intelligence operators analyse emerging threats, monitor global developments, and equip our forces with the insight needed to plan, prepare, and act decisively against near-peer adversaries.

Their work shapes strategy before the first move is made. It protects capability, preserves lives, and strengthens operational advantage.

This library offers space to think, study, and sharpen the edge. A place for professional development in intelligence and across broader disciplines, and a place to reset between demanding tasks.

Well done to the team who made it happen. Thank you for your service.

📚 Ipswich Police Station Community Library 👮‍♂️“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” - Plut...
25/02/2026

📚 Ipswich Police Station Community Library 👮‍♂️

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” - Plutarch

Police Stations are more than a workplace. It is a place where men and women carry responsibility daily for community safety, for one another, and for the standards they uphold.

Recently, a small but meaningful addition was made inside the Ipswich station: a community library space for officers and staff. A place to pause between shifts. A place to think beyond the job. A place to strengthen the mind the same way training strengthens the body.

The collection includes titles on leadership, resilience, psychology, and personal growth, along with books families can enjoy when visiting. Because service extends beyond the uniform, and small details matter.

This library is more than shelves and pages it also contains resources from which are a national charity supporting the mental wellbeing of our emergency services.

Well done to everyone who helped make this library happen 💪 📚

29/01/2026

Great catching up with Zac at Mary Who? Bookshop in Townsville this afternoon.

I am very grateful to Katie and Zac for the way they support me and other local authors, making space to restock the shelves with our books. Indie bookstores like Mary Who? really are the heartbeat of a reading community.

📙 This visit I dropped in more copies of Quotes for Athletes from my Quotivation Series, along with a very limited number of Quotes for Leaders and Quotes for Business – they’re not even available on my website yet, so Mary Who? has the exclusive!

Check out Zac in his Brothers and Books shirt, flying the flag for Dylan Conway's fantastic initiative that’s making reading cool again and getting more books into people’s hands. While I was there, I also picked up my very first Stephen King novel, so I’m looking forward to diving into something completely different in my reading time.

If you are in Townsville and looking for your next read (or a copy of one of my books), be sure to call into Mary Who? and support this wonderful local bookstore.

14/01/2026

Army veteran Dylan Conway started Brothers and Books (now Australian Bibliotherapy Foundation) five years ago to help people harness the healing power of reading 📖

The foundation has since donated more than 10,000 books and set up 134 free community libraries across Australia, empowering individuals and organisations to build mental health resilience through bibliotherapy.

Discover how this network of community libraries has opened the door to bibliotherapy for veterans and their families https://rslqld.social/4qqhSEq.

📸 RSL Queensland’s North Queensland District Office installed a community library in partnership with Brothers and Books.

📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY 📚Support our Special Forces communities by sharing their stories and books. Share this post for your cha...
08/01/2026

📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY 📚

Support our Special Forces communities by sharing their stories and books. Share this post for your chance to win a copy as well.

Thanks to , we have three copies of The Last Battle by Aaron Patrick to give away. Drawn this Sunday 11th Jan 2026.

To enter Instagram : like the post and share to your story 🇦🇺 To enter Facebook : like the post and share 🍻

Troy Carter congratulations you are the Facebook winner of this excellent book mate. Can you please send an email with your details to [email protected] 🍻🍻

The Last Battle examines the final years of Australia’s deployment to Afghanistan, focusing on elite Special Forces operations and the political, military, and moral frameworks surrounding them. Patrick’s disciplined journalism avoids sensationalism, instead building a compelling narrative through documents, interviews, and careful reconstruction of events.

A central theme is institutional failure. The book explores how operational success was often prioritised over ethical scrutiny, and how command structures, political pressure, and strategic ambiguity created conditions in which serious wrongdoing could occur. Importantly, it does not paint with a broad brush, clearly distinguishing between individual responsibility and systemic flaws, while recognising that many soldiers served with professionalism and restraint.

The Last Battle is an important contribution to Australia’s understanding of its role in Afghanistan. It will resonate with a lot of Australians that feel our troops may have their side of the story to tell.r

Address

Brisbane, QLD

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Brothers and Books posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Brothers and Books:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category