Efforts to foster a love of books among young people.

Attracting young people to books, fostering a love of reading, and encouraging daily reading is no easy task and requires creative approaches.

The impact of a competition

Pham Thu Ha, a 12th-grade student from Yen Mo A High School, is one of the three first-prize winners of the Ninh Binh Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2023. Thu Ha shared that, for her, books are teachers and friends that nurture her soul, helping her to love and appreciate life. Books have brought her many new opportunities. Thanks to books, she has met many talented friends and mentors in various fields, from academics and work to life in general, people who have accompanied or are accompanying her on different journeys. Books have become an indispensable part of her life.

That's why, when Thu Ha was invited to participate in the 2023 Reading Culture Ambassador Contest launched by the Ninh Binh Provincial Library, she was very excited and saw it as an opportunity to express her love for books, as well as contribute to spreading the love of reading to more people. Therefore, Thu Ha spent time reading the contest rules, collecting materials and images, and focusing on writing.

Being someone with a particular interest in national history, Thu Ha chose a historical theme for her entry, specifically the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. "Writing about history is already difficult because it requires thorough research and accurate knowledge. But with the desire to bring history closer to the younger generation, I wrote it as a short story, incorporating modern details to make it more interesting," Thu Ha said.

In the short story she wrote, Thu Ha tells the story of Minh, a young man from the modern era who accidentally travels back in time to the historical years of the past. Minh lived and fought wholeheartedly as a true soldier and sacrificed himself. After returning to the modern era, Minh continued his journey to bring history closer to the younger generation, which is also our mission towards the glorious history of our homeland. Before writing, I spent a whole month researching and watching films about Dien Bien Phu to understand, feel, and be able to write these pages of the story… The competition is also an opportunity for me to spread my love, appreciation, and passion for reading to my friends.

Awakening interest, fostering a love of reading, and cultivating reading habits among young people is one of the main goals of the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest that our province has focused on implementing since 2020. In reality, this goal has achieved many positive results. Each year, the number of students interested in and investing in entries for the contest has increased in both quantity and quality.

Specifically for the 2023 Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, in just six months after its launch and preliminary selection in various localities, the Organizing Committee received 1,060 entries (including 1,039 handwritten entries and 21 video clips) from all three levels, with 67 schools participating. Specifically: 30 primary schools submitted 445 entries and 3 video clips; 14 secondary schools submitted 234 entries and 2 video clips; and 23 high schools submitted 360 entries and 16 video clips. The number of entries doubled compared to the 2022 contest.

Many efforts have been made to bring books to the grassroots level.

Having been nurtured with a love for books since childhood, Thu Ha, a 12th-grade student at Yen Mo A High School, affirms that the care and support of parents and teachers are crucial factors in bringing books closer to young people. When she entered secondary school, Thu Ha felt the need to read more books to support her studies and satisfy her curiosity and desire to explore. However, her family's financial situation didn't allow it, and she hadn't yet earned any money, making access to books more difficult. Fortunately, at that time, Mr. Bui Van Dong, a teacher in Yen Mo district, opened a family library where books could be borrowed for free. Her path to books was thus rekindled.

To attract young people to the colorful world of books, the collaboration of many agencies, organizations, and individuals through practical and meaningful activities is essential. Currently, all schools in our province have library rooms. In recent years, schools have proactively invested in and created attractive reading spaces, and library activities have become increasingly flexible and creative. Many schools always focus on building a welcoming and friendly reading culture space. They also add new books from socialized sources to attract student participation…

In addition, the Provincial Library annually adds new books to meet the needs of readers, especially young people and children, contributing to enriching the children's book collection and satisfying the diverse needs of young people. To make reading easier for young people, the library has arranged a separate reading room equipped with ample lighting, clean and airy tables and chairs... to serve children who come to read and research information. Currently, the children's reading room has a diverse collection of books in many genres that children are interested in, such as: comic books, fairy tales, books about historical figures, and talented scientists from both domestic and international backgrounds...

Efforts to foster a love of books among young people. — Students at Khanh An Primary School enthusiastically read books at the "Mobile Library".

In particular, to bring books to children in remote areas, the Provincial Library has organized mobile library services to districts, creating opportunities for children in remote areas to access a rich source of books and newspapers. This contributes to fostering a reading culture in the community in general, and among young people and children in particular. On average, the Provincial Library serves approximately 250,000 readers annually.

To ignite a passion for reading in young people, the involvement and exemplary behavior of adults are crucial. Ms. Lai Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Director of the Provincial Library, shared: "To cultivate a reading habit in young people, parents must set a good example. Parents should dedicate time to reading with their children, discussing books, attending book launches, or shopping for books together… Children will gradually discover a magical world through the pages of books, expanding their knowledge, nurturing their souls, and perfecting their character through reading. In the 4.0 era, engaging children in reading is more challenging than before. But let's persevere little by little. Cultivating a reading habit in children cannot be achieved solely through words; it must be done through a real-life example."

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