Khanh Hoa Provincial Library has significantly contributed to promote the reading culture in Khanh Hoa through many activities, such as displaying, introducing and circulating books to reading stations at the grass-roots level.
Khanh Hoa Provincial Library has significantly contributed to promote the reading culture in Khanh Hoa through many activities, such as displaying, introducing and circulating books to reading stations at the grass-roots level.
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The provincial library now has around 80,000 titles with 149,500 copies. The application of information technology has also been promoted. Accordingly, the readers can look up books in an online catalog instead of card catalog. Besides, the library now allows readers to search for the books right in the repository. Every year, the library collects ideas from the readers to improve the library’s services; organizes meetings in order to praise the individuals who have contribution in building up reading culture.
Especially, in order to promote the reading culture, the provincial library of Khanh Hoa often displays and introduces books on the occasions of main events and festivals like New Year, Vietnam Book Day, anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, Southern Liberation Day, birth anniversary of Uncle Ho, etc. The library also cooperates with other units to hold book exhibitions and talk shows. Additionally, the library holds annual story-telling contest for pupils of primary schools and junior high schools.
Thanks to these activities, the number of readers has increased quite a lot. According to the statistics, in the 2014-2015 period, there were nearly 150,000 visits to the provincial library per year, compared to 80,000 to 100,000 in the 2007-2009 period.
The books have also been circulated to the libraries in the districts and reading stations at the grass-roots level every two years. As reported by Phan Thi Long Tra, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Library, the library has allocated books to 73 reading stations across the province, including communes’ cultural post offices, communes’ libraries, schools’ libraries, border posts, etc.
Apart from the positive changes, the provincial library has still had many difficulties, especially financial resource. The annual budget for new books allows the library to buy around 7,000 copies; whereas, it requires much more new books to serve the readers at the provincial library and other localities. Therefore, the library’s leaders have called for supports from the book publishing houses and organizations (SIDA, Le Liseron d'eau). The limited funds have also caused difficulties for the library to hold roll-out of books, exchanges between authors and readers as well as to apply modern information technologies.
Reportedly, beside the traditional library, electronic library will be built. However, due to the financial difficulties, at present, only 300 books have been digitized.
Xuan Thanh
Translated by H.N
