What is needed in urban areas and apartment buildings?

Every residential area with 1,000 or more residents should have at least one library or community reading room. Apartment complexes should have a reading corner or small library for residents.

Young readers were excited about the book fair held right in their apartment building in Cat Lai ward (Ho Chi Minh City). Photo: Khuong Nguyen .

For many years, I have been pondering one question: Why do we build so many new urban areas, new apartment buildings, and new residential areas with complete infrastructure and amenities such as shopping malls, supermarkets, playgrounds, sports fields, parks, swimming pools, etc., but lack a space that is extremely important for the intellectual and cultural development of the community: libraries and reading rooms?

I also frequently discuss this issue with individuals and representatives in the publishing industry, such as Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Publishers Association; Mr. Nguyen Nguyen, Director of the Department of Publishing, Printing and Distribution; Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi, Chairman of the Vietnam Library Association; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City..., along with several leaders of real estate businesses. They all agree that this is a matter of concern that needs to be studied and incorporated into future legal regulations and urban planning.

Libraries are essential cultural infrastructure.

Traditionally, when we talk about infrastructure, we usually think of roads, electricity, water, telecommunications, schools, or hospitals. However, a civilized city needs not only technical infrastructure but also cultural infrastructure.

Libraries are one of the most fundamental cultural institutions.

A community library is more than just a place to store books. It's also a place for lifelong learning, a place for meeting and exchanging knowledge, a place to nurture reading habits, a place where children develop character, where adults access new knowledge, and where the elderly continue to learn and share life experiences.

In the age of digital transformation, where people can access a vast amount of information on the Internet, the role of libraries has become even more important. Libraries not only provide knowledge but also help people choose the right, valuable, and reliable knowledge.

It needs to be mandated in the law.

I believe it's time to study the possibility of incorporating provisions for building community libraries, reading rooms, and community book collections into legal regulations.

The Capital City Law and specific regulations for Ho Chi Minh City could certainly take the lead in this regard. Similarly to regulations on the percentage of green space, park area, schools, parking lots, and other public facilities, new urban areas should also be required to allocate space for libraries and reading rooms.

In my personal opinion, every residential area with 1,000 or more people should have at least one library or community reading room. Apartment complexes should have reading corners or small libraries for residents. Every commune and ward should have a community library or open reading space for the people. Cultural centers and community activity centers should integrate bookshelves or libraries to support lifelong learning.

If we can allocate thousands of square meters to commercial amenities, then allocating a few dozen or a few hundred square meters to knowledge is entirely feasible.

An urban area may be architecturally modern, but if it lacks spaces for learning and reading, it will be difficult for it to become a sustainable community.

What gives a city its lasting value is not just the high-rise buildings, but also the quality of the people who live in it.

Books contribute to shaping individuals who are knowledgeable, cultured, socially responsible, and capable of lifelong learning.

A child growing up in a neighborhood with a library will have more opportunities to access books. A family that makes a habit of going to the library on weekends will have more time to bond. A community with reading spaces will have more opportunities to share knowledge and spread positive values.

That is the foundation for a learning society that our Party and State are striving towards.

Quiet, persistent efforts

While awaiting more specific policies and regulations, many social organizations and businesses have taken proactive action. Thai Ha Books is currently implementing the "Reading Promotion ATM" model and has deployed it in 135 locations nationwide. Not all 135 locations have been successful, but at least they have yielded some positive results; some places have been particularly successful, such as recently at Hanoi Medical University and Hanoi Medical University Hospital.

This model aims to bring books closer to the community, helping people easily access knowledge right where they live, study, and work. Essentially a community library, we call it an ATM bookshelf, a Reading Corner.

Each bookshelf and reading corner here is not only a place to borrow books but also a connecting point for the reading community, contributing to building a reading culture from the grassroots level.

I believe that if every residential area, every apartment building, every commune or ward had a reading corner or a community library, we would create a nationwide knowledge network.

Investing in libraries is investing in the future.

A country that wants sustainable development needs to build a learning society. A learning society needs a reading culture. And a reading culture can only thrive when people have convenient, frequent, and equal access to books.

Therefore, I earnestly urge government agencies, lawmakers, urban planners, and real estate businesses to pay more attention to building libraries, reading rooms, and community book collections in new urban areas.

Consider libraries as an integral part of modern urban infrastructure.

Building a building only takes a few years, but cultivating a generation that loves reading, appreciates knowledge, and possesses the capacity for lifelong learning is a task that takes decades.

And to achieve that, we need to start with small libraries right where we live. The sooner the better. And I always think, if we don't start now, when will we? And if we don't do it, who will?

Source: https://znews.vn/dieu-can-co-trong-khu-do-thi-va-chung-cu-post1654471.html