A library open free to all readers has been run for 2 months by a student named Nguyen Tan Tai, Pacific Ocean University...
A library open free to all readers has been run for 2 months by a student named Nguyen Tan Tai, Pacific Ocean University, Nha Trang City.
Cherishing dream
His book resource has developed from the first 500 books he has kept since grade 9. Thanks to the contribution of his friends and many others, up till now, his library has had nearly 1,500 books of various kinds for all ages in literature, economics, science; about skills, food, health, poems, stories and even politics and religions. The library opens daily from 8am to 9pm.
Nguyen Tan Tai has a great passion for reading books. However, his family could not afford to buy many books for him when he was a child. Therefore, he has cherished a dream to open a free library when he grows up. Fortunately, he had a chance to make his dream come true when he was going to graduate from university. Thanks to his mother’s support, he has turned his first floor at 133 Le Hong Phong Nha Trang City, into a library room named H2T “Hope to hearts” for free entrance.
Nguyen Tan Tai (in black) with his friends at his library. |
Nguyen Tan Tai says, “Books teach me how to share. When reading a good book, I would like to share the interesting things I have read with others. That’s why I open this library. All boys and girls are welcome here to read and borrow books free of charge.”
With his great love for reading, he has done all things himself for his own library, building bookshelves; collecting and arranging books; and making decoration to his reading space. His small library is marked with the saying “Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand, you can’t love.”
Free library entrance
The library is working based on intimacy, binding ties and community sharing. From what he experienced in his childhood, he can deeply understand the suffering of poor students without money for books. His library welcomes all readers for free entrance. His generosity has inspired many others and thus received much support and donation in the community-sharing effort.
“My teacher-in-charge donated the first 100 books. My friends gave books and monks at Long Son Pagoda also donated meaningful prayer books. Other students helped me with the library decoration and book arrangement. Thanks to the support and help, I feel more motivated to develop the library to bring books to many readers,” he says.
Though opening for just 2 months, the library has had about 200 regular readers. Besides free reading, the library allows borrowing books for unlimited time. Borrowers are required to simply give their phone numbers. Mutual trust and love for reading are what the library operates on.
Tran An Binh, a student of Nha Trang University says, “I can find books I need here. Some of them are difficult to find at bookstores. Coming to the library, I can also meet new friends, learn and share experience in life to improve my knowledge. H2T Library has created a great reading and built a sense of community among young people in Nha Trang City.”
Reportedly, besides his study and part-time work, Nguyen Tan Tai spends his spare time taking care of the library, arranging books, tidying up, etc. To inspire the love for reading in young people, the library offers gifts to 3 people who read the most every month. In addition, to increase diversity of book resources, the owner has run a program “plants in exchange for books” in which his part-time wages are used to buy small plants for those who have donated books to the library. Besides, the library has also organized exchange activities for young people such as free guitar classes and visits to orphanages in Khanh Hoa Province, meetings and exchange programs, etc.
The development of technology has changed book reading habits. The culture of reading a real book seems to be gradually forgotten. Such a free library will surely help people, especially the youth, to get more access to valuable knowledge resources from books.
Hoa Trang
Translated by N.T
