A rewarding space for summer days.

Summer arrives, bringing with it long holidays and diverse experiences for children. Many participate in activities that create memorable moments, but many others spend most of their time at home, glued to their phones or with nothing better to do. The expansion of reading spaces and community activities is creating more beneficial destinations for students to learn, develop skills, and connect with friends.

Students from Quyet Thang ward ( Thai Nguyen province ) come to read books and participate in activities at the community library.

Summer rendezvous

As the school year draws to a close, many parents begin to face a familiar dilemma: where will their children be and what will they do during the summer? Not every family has the means to enroll their children in extracurricular classes, trips , or experiential learning programs. With parents still busy with work and grandparents of advanced age unable to closely supervise, children's time at home is easily filled with phones and online games. For many families, summer is a much-anticipated break for children, but it is also a time of anxiety for adults.

Perhaps that's why the emergence of libraries and community cultural centers in many communes and wards across the province in recent months has been receiving positive support. Children now have places to read books, meet friends, learn life skills, and spend time on beneficial things instead of being glued to electronic devices.

In Quyet Thang ward, the library and community cultural center quickly became a meeting place for students in the area during the early days of summer.

Do Huyen Trang, a student in class 6A1 at Quyet Thang Secondary School, shared: "Since learning that the local library was opening, my friends and I have been very happy because there are many kinds of books here that suit everyone's interests. In the upcoming summer, I will often come here to read books with my friends."

The community library in Quyet Thang ward currently has over 3,000 books, arranged in a spacious area with an on-site reading area, group study tables, and a computer system connected to the school library and the provincial digital library to support residents in searching for information.

Following the administrative reorganization, and based on the reality that some cultural institutions were not being fully utilized, Quyet Thang ward developed two models: a library and community cultural center, and a community health care and elderly care center.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Nhat, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quyet Thang Ward, the library located at the former Quyet Thang Commune Cultural House has a convenient location, close to schools, creating favorable conditions for students and residents to participate in cultural activities, read books, and study. The local authorities hope to create another place to serve the people, while contributing to gradually forming a habit of reading, lifelong learning, and building a healthy community environment.

Students in Con Minh commune choose comic books and children's books at the library and community cultural center.

In Con Minh commune, the library and community cultural center located at the Doan Ket village cultural house has become a popular destination for many students in the area since its opening (April 21st). After helping their parents with household chores, many students come here to read, borrow books, or review their lessons.

It's worth noting that for many students in rural areas, summer isn't necessarily a time for leisurely rest. Behind closed doors, familiar tasks such as helping with sales, babysitting, doing housework, or assisting parents with production are common. Therefore, a library near residential areas not only provides children with a healthy recreational space but also helps bridge the gap in access to knowledge, making reading less dependent on economic conditions or geographical distance.

Find joy in books.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, by May 30, 2026, all 92/92 communes and wards in the province will have completed the establishment and operation of library models, community cultural activity centers, community health care centers, and elderly health care centers.

Besides students, senior citizens also visit community libraries to read books and newspapers.

To support local communities, the Provincial Library has provided guidance on establishing grassroots libraries; circulated approximately 900 book titles with nearly 1,700 copies to nearly 15 commune and ward libraries; and collaborated with the Digital Center of Thai Nguyen University to connect digital library management software and online search platforms to gradually expand access to knowledge for the people.

Many organizations also participated in supporting these models with specific contributions: donating books, bookshelves, electronic equipment, or providing facilities to help new libraries operate stably. While these resources may not immediately fill the bookshelves, they have laid the initial foundation for a learning space that is close to the people and serves the people.

However, for these places to truly keep children engaged throughout the summer, bookshelves alone are not enough. Regularly organized activities such as storytelling, group work, skill development, experiential games, or reading clubs will make the community space more attractive, allowing children to learn how to share, communicate, and discover new things.

Late in the afternoon, as the sunlight outside softened, a few students still lingered in the library at Quyet Thang. Some sat with their heads bowed over books, others whispered something they had just read to a friend. On the veranda, a few elderly people leisurely strolled in to read newspapers and chat. Thus, the summer became more enriching and meaningful, with the addition of brightly lit rooms in the residential area, where children found joy in books, and the community gained a space to meet, share, and preserve the close-knit rhythms of life that are easily swept away by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202605/khong-gian-bo-ich-ngay-he-75a7401/