10:11, 28/11/2020

Promoting reading culture in communities

Over the past three years, Khanh Hoa Province's culture sector has cooperated with some provincial units and localities to carry out many activities to promote reading culture in communities.
 

Over the past three years, Khanh Hoa Province’s culture sector has cooperated with some provincial units and localities to carry out many activities to promote reading culture in communities.
 
Since the community bookcase model was implemented in Ha Thanh 1 residential group (Ninh Da Ward, Ninh Hoa Town), the local cultural house has become a familiar address for those who love reading. The community bookcase has provided pupils in the locality with access to information and knowledge essential for learning and helped to equip them with life skills, etc. “Since this community bookcase was set up, my friends and I have often come here after school to read books,” said Vo Thi Anh Thu, ninth-grade student at Chu Van An Junior High School.
 
 
Pupils reading books at cultural house in Ha Thanh 1 residential group
Pupils reading books at cultural house in Ha Thanh 1 residential group
 
The province’s cultural sector has held many activities in order to promote reading culture in communities, such as: Vietnam Book Day, reading culture ambassador contests; book storytelling contests for children; lifelong learning week; book exhibitions; book arrangement contests, book fairs; and book donation to schools in remote areas. In addition, the sector has developed a system of libraries and commune cultural post offices.
 
However, there are some difficulties and limitations in promoting reading culture in the province, according to Nguyen Tuan Thanh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports. For example, library facilities aren’t well invested; readers' needs aren’t fully satisfied due to shortage of books; there aren’t digital resources and books for people with visual impairment and hearing impairment, and ethnic minorities. Besides, the qualifications of library staff aren’t commensurate with the rapid development in the industrial revolution 4.0 era.
 
 
People in Ha Thanh 1 residential group reading books at cultural house
People in Ha Thanh 1 residential group reading books at cultural house
 
In order to make a change in reading culture in the next ten years, Khanh Hoa’s culture sector has set a target to build and develop reading habit, needs, and skills and promote reading movement in all classes of the people, especially young people and people in rural areas and disadvantaged areas. The sector will improve the facilities, book resources, and reading environment to create more favorable conditions for people to access books and information; strive to promote the application of science, technology and information technology into public libraries and school libraries at all levels; and develop the provincial library into a modern, digital library connected with libraries nationwide.
 
By 2030, the provincial culture sector will strive to provide the provincial library, 100 percent of district-level libraries and 50 percent of commune-level libraries with free Internet service; help 80 percent of pupils and students, 30 percent people in rural areas and 20 percent people in disadvantaged areas to access public and school libraries and commune cultural post offices.
 
Giang Đinh
Translated by H.N