Efforts to develop reading culture

Implementing the project on developing reading culture in the community for the period 2021-2025 issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa Provincial Library has made efforts to engage readers in many ways, thereby, gradually building and developing reading habits in community; improving reading environment and raising the public’s awareness of importance of reading.

Children at SOS Children's Village Nha Trang reading books provided by Khanh Hoa Provincial Library

Khanh Hoa Provincial Library has launched many practical activities to engage a wide audience of readers, such as Vietnam's Book and Reading Culture Day, Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, children's storytelling contest, lifelong learning week, and various quizzes and book-related competitions. Besides, the library also has organized specialized talks and author and book introduction, and launched reading movements and book recommendation among young people. During the annual summer break, the library held recreational activities combined with reading activities, provided guidance on reading, learning and life skills.

"This summer, my mom brought me to the Provincial Library to participate in the library’s programs. Thanks to the activities, I met many new friends, joined physical and intellectual games, and learned about stories in books. I gained many new skills and like reading a lot more," said Tuan Khoa, a third-grade pupil at Phuong Sai Primary School.

Besides its movement activities, Khanh Hoa Provincial Library also prioritizes the circulation of books to localities, especially remote and rural areas. Over the last five years, the library carried out 25 book circulation activities to smaller libraries and reading facilities, serving 140,132 readers. This helped meet the demand for reading of ethnic minority communities in the province.

Besides, in order to attract readers to libraries and reading facilities, the Provincial Library focused on propaganda work in many forms; organized many activities to develop reading culture such as book festivals and book storytelling and painting contests to help children and pupils form reading habits and reading skills; actively cooperated with schools to organize extracurricular activities to provide pupils with skills to select appropriate books and effective reading methods.

Improve efficiency of library system

According to Dinh Xuan Huong, director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Library, reading culture development models have been widely carried out in accordance with actual conditions of the localities, especially remote areas. The number of readers participating in libraries’ activities is increasing; a deeper awareness of value of books and reading habits are gradually being established within the community, especially among children. Mobile library model has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness; book rotation helped in bringing reading culture to remote and disadvantaged areas. Contests, summer programs, field trips etc. have become valuable platforms, playing a key role in promoting reading and raising awareness of reading culture within schools and community.

In order to achieve the target of 80% of pupils, 20% of rural residents, and 10% of people in disadvantaged areas getting access to information and public libraries’ services, Khanh Hoa Provincial Library must develop and implement new methods to deliver books and information to the public more effectively.

GIANG DINH
Translated by H.N