Community-level library gaps

Currently, many communes and wards in the province do not have public libraries; some localities that do have libraries face many difficulties in terms of facilities, funding, and personnel. This has created a gap related to cultural institutions, affecting the development of reading culture in communes and wards.

Many communes and wards lack libraries.

Commune-level libraries are an important part of the grassroots cultural institution system, receiving attention from the State through policies promoting reading culture and building a learning society. The State issues regulations on the organization and operation of libraries; and simultaneously supports investment in infrastructure, the acquisition of books, newspapers, and documents to serve the people. In addition, there are social mobilization policies aimed at encouraging the participation of organizations and individuals in the construction and development of libraries. Commune-level libraries are directly managed by the People's Committee of the commune and receive professional guidance from the provincial-level library. The activities of commune-level libraries are linked to the movement to promote learning and reading and the construction of new rural areas, contributing to creating conditions for organizing activities to serve the learning and research needs of the people in the area. However, currently, the support mechanism for commune-level library activities still faces certain difficulties, especially regarding funding for acquiring materials, organizing activities, and upgrading infrastructure. According to data from 54 communes and wards that submitted reports to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, only 15 communes and wards have community-level libraries, while 39 communes and wards do not. The total information resources of community-level libraries amount to 226,888 books. On average, each community-level library receives an estimated 10 to 60 million VND in additional operating funds annually.

Library staff in Nha Trang ward organize information resources.

Nha Trang Ward is one of the localities with a community-level library. Currently, the ward library is under the direct management of the Ward's Public Service Center, thus facilitating the organization of activities to serve the cultural and educational needs of the people. However, the support mechanism for the ward library's activities is still limited, especially in terms of funding for supplementing materials, organizing activities, and upgrading facilities. According to Mr. Huynh Quang Tu, Vice Chairman of the Nha Trang Ward People's Committee, the ward library currently still operates manually and lacks library software; its current collection consists of 50,937 books and 18 newspapers and magazines; and it has one civil servant and one contract worker. The main activity of the ward library is serving readers on-site, while activities such as mobile book services, storytelling competitions based on books, and Book and Reading Culture Day mainly take place during the summer.

Thuan Nam commune also has a commune-level library located within the premises of the commune's Public Service Center. Although called a library, it is essentially just a small reading room with limited facilities, such as unsuitable book shelves, a small number of books, and a lack of variety in genres, thus failing to adequately meet the reading and knowledge needs of the people. In Khanh Son commune, the commune library inherited from the former Khanh Son District Library, so it has a separate reading room, a separate book storage area, and a rich collection of books. However, the commune library still lacks its own staff and relies on cultural officials or clerks from the Public Service Center, so its activities mainly serve readers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during office hours.

The operational efficiency needs to be improved.

In reality, many communes and wards in the province either lack libraries or have libraries with small, cramped spaces; they lack separate reading rooms for different age groups; equipment is old and not standardized; and there is a lack of funding for upgrades and repairs. Some libraries even lack reading space and have to utilize offices of public service centers or surplus premises resulting from mergers at the commune level. Information resources are limited and not diverse in genre; books are updated slowly, failing to keep up with the actual needs of readers, mainly consisting of traditional printed books with no digital resources. Most commune-level libraries do not have dedicated staff. The organization of activities at commune-level libraries generally still has many limitations, and the number of readers visiting these libraries remains low... This situation highlights the need for improvements in the cultural infrastructure of libraries and enhancement of the effectiveness of commune-level library operations.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism , in order to improve the effectiveness of the commune-level library system, the department has proposed and recommended to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to continue reviewing and perfecting the system of guiding documents for the implementation of the Library Law, especially regulations related to the organization and operation of public libraries in the context of digital transformation and the implementation of the two-tiered local government model. At the same time, it proposes implementing programs and projects on digital transformation of libraries, building digital libraries and sharing information resources among libraries in the public library system nationwide; paying attention to supporting resources, targeted programs or specialized projects to develop the grassroots library system, especially in rural areas and remote regions. This will contribute to narrowing the gap in access to information and knowledge between different regions. Regarding infrastructure, the department requests that the competent authorities allocate funds to upgrade and repair dilapidated cultural facilities and supplement equipment to support activities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should also continue to guide the innovation of content and forms of organizing cultural, artistic, and sports activities in a practical manner, suitable to the needs of the people; and promote the application of information technology in the management and organization of grassroots cultural activities.

GIANG DINH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202603/khoang-trong-thu-vien-cap-xa-15b63d0/