Doctor collects 15,000 books for more than 30 years

Over the past 30 years, Mr. Nguyen Duy Long (58 years old, Cam Thanh ward, Quang Ngai province) has collected more than 15,000 books, including books published during the "subsidy period".

Mr. Nguyen Duy Long has pen names Duy Long, Nguyen Duy Long, Tran Trong Cat Tuong... Graduated as a Medical Doctor (Hue Medical University), Master of Medicine ( Hanoi Medical University). Currently working at Quang Ngai General Hospital.

His published works include "Return to the Book Hien" (published in 2012) under the pen name Tran Trong Cat Tuong, "Following the footsteps of a book boy" (2022) under the pen name Nguyen Duy Long... In addition, he also collected and introduced many works by authors such as Anatole France (1844-1924), "Book collector's handbook" (2025)...

Mr. Nguyen Duy Long has collected more than 15,000 books over the past 30 years. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Mr. Long's house is like a personal library with more than 15,000 books, from "subsidy period" publications to foreign books, which he arranges into many folders.

Talking about books from the "subsidy period", Mr. Long shared: At that time, the books printed on black paper, with smudged ink, tiny, blurry letters, and published from early 1976 until about 1985 were temporarily called "subsidy books" by book collectors.

According to him, the special thing is that at that time, these books were often printed according to quotas in huge quantities, with books like “History of Vietnam, Volume I”, printed 300,500 copies (Tien Bo Printing Factory, Hanoi, 1971). An “unbelievable miracle” compared to a few thousand for a best-selling book today. The Vietnamese Dictionary, Hanoi Social Sciences Publishing House, 1988, first edition of 100,000 copies.

The books published in the North from around 1954 to the early 1960s reflect a turbulent period of social and cultural life.

He shared: “At that time, the price of a book was only 300 to 4,500 VND, so books were easy to find and easy to buy. I remember that in Ho Chi Minh City, there was a golden age of used books, on the streets it was easy to find bookstores, and the prices of used books were very low. Later, I often searched for books through forums.”

The living room with dense bookshelves. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Since childhood, Mr. Long has been attached to books. In the 1990s, when he started working, he began collecting documents. Although he studied medicine, with a passion for culture and history, he gradually nurtured the joy of reading books, seeing it as a way to expand his knowledge and satisfy his passion for book collecting.

Mr. Long clearly distinguishes between “playing with books” and “reading books”. He said that in 2012, after printing “Ve noi thu hien” (Returning to the library) about “playing with books” signed by Tran Trong Cat Tuong, he thought of a book about “reading books” signed by his real name Nguyen Duy Long, the matter of reading books is more serious than “playing” and that is how the book “Noi dat thu trai” was born.

Mr. Long holding the book he wrote. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

He shared: “During his lifetime, my father secretly hoped and often encouraged his children to write. And I used to remind my younger siblings to spend some time writing.” When printing the book “Following the footsteps of a letter boy,” he wrote, “leisurely wandering in the blue sky and white clouds, far away, my father must be satisfied.” From a person who read and played with books to writing books is a long journey.

Talking about the “Dictionary of Hematology and Blood Transfusion” with more than 1,000 pages published by Da Nang Publishing House, he said: “It took many years of hard work to complete this book.” The dictionary includes about 12,000 clearly defined Vietnamese medical terms, with a Vietnamese-English-French comparison section.

The book was completed, but he still wondered how to collect all the concepts and terms of even a narrow field into one book, how to keep up with the pace of language, the development of medicine, shorten the distance and update increasingly diverse knowledge in the technical age.

Mr. Long still pursues his passion and continues to collect many books, inspiring the younger generation. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

However, for Mr. Long, his passion for books has always been steadfast over the years. After working hours at the hospital, he still returns to his house full of bookshelves, diligently reading and taking notes of every little detail.

Although modern devices are developing strongly, the love of books and book enthusiasts still exist. On the contrary, this community still quietly exchanges and connects with each other through different forums.

He believes: “Books are close friends, silent teachers. Each old book not only contains knowledge, but also carries the breath of the era in which it was published.”

NGUYEN TRANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bac-si-hon-30-nam-suu-tam-15000-cuon-sach-post810154.html