CHEPSTOW and Caldicot libraries welcomed Dr Rhys Jones last Friday (6th March) as part of a Welsh Government scheme to provide primary school children with library cards.

Around 50 pupils from Dewstow and Rogiet Primary Schools went along to Caldicot Library in the morning to meet Dr Rhys, and 90 pupils from Dell and Pembroke Primary Schools visited Chepstow Library in the afternoon

Star of the BBC series: "Rhys to the Rescue" and "Dr Rhys Jones' Wildlife Patrol", Dr Rhys is fronting a campaign which aims to get every Year 4 child a library card.

The reason why Year 4 has been chosen as the starting point is because eight year olds are allowed into libraries by themselves.

With a library card, the children can then go in and read, take out books, access e-books and magazines, access the internet, attend clubs and events and get homework help, after being shown how to use the card.

Dr Rhys was on hand to share his experiences and generate enthusiasm within the pupils to making the most of their library, something he feels strongly about.

"It was very important for me to get involved," he said.

"I'm very passionate about this – the reason being is I'm dyslexic, severely dyslexic. I left school without any qualifications and I had to work very, very hard to get back into academia, to build myself up. I'm now a doctor, a lecturer at Cardiff University and I'm in charge of one of the top tropical ecology field courses in Kenya – I'm very proud of what I've accomplished.

"But what this gives me an opportunity to do is to meet other little 'Rhyses' or 'Rhysettes' that might be out there, and I'm going to be able to meet them and inspire them from eight years of age. That for me was the crucial age when I started picking up books and really understanding what was important."

"Looking and dreaming about these wonderful different animals and lands and countries, I thought I have to go and see this, go and see them and visit these places. I'm going to have to get a really good academic background to be able to fulfil this journey, this wonderful dream that I had.

"I just think it's so important, I'm so passionate about this. I've been on adventures I couldn't have dreamt of going on. Looking back now, when I was eight years of age, looking at where I grew up in Cardiff, I couldn't have dreamt of some of the places I've visited, some of the things I've seen.

"I'm so excited to share those adventures with these young people, and hopefully inspire them so that when I come back in twenty years time, they're telling me about their adventures."

The scheme will continue to be rolled out to other schools across the region in the future as the project expands. For more information on the scheme and what libraries have to offer, visit the website http://www.welsh">www.welsh

libraries.org/schools