The birthplace of reading culture

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, Thai Nguyen Provincial Library remains a familiar cultural space, a spiritual anchor for book lovers, and a testament to its positive achievements in professional activities and reader services.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Vinh, from Phan Dinh Phung ward, borrowed books at the Thai Nguyen Provincial Library.

The space of books

On a winter afternoon, the quiet space of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Library was left with only a few familiar readers. Most of them had graying hair; these were the people who regularly visited the library as an indispensable habit.

Sitting by the bookshelf, Mr. Nguyen Kim Vinh, from Group 70, Phan Dinh Phung Ward, had just completed the procedures for obtaining a new library card. Mr. Vinh shared: "A library that stocks both new and old books is best. There are some books that are very difficult to find; they're available online, but not from official sources. I hope the library will always be in a convenient location so that everyone can come and find books."

Not far away, at the lending section, Ms. Nguyen Thi Noi, a staff member who has been involved in book lending for nearly 18 years, is busy searching for materials requested by readers. She recounts that in the summer, the library is packed with students, while on weekdays, most borrowers are regulars. Ms. Noi's voice is full of enthusiasm: "Some readers consider the library their second home, like a close friend. Young people come to return and borrow books on weekends. Especially the elderly, they come here to read the latest newspapers and borrow books to take home. Some elderly men and women even bring us fruits they grow at home as a token of their appreciation."

It is through these familiar relationships that libraries gradually become special spaces where people find solace and connection through the pages of books. Without being overly modern or noisy, libraries maintain their unique appeal through their approachable and dedicated service.

On the second floor, the children's reading room is quite empty on weekdays, with books neatly arranged and a spacious atmosphere, as if awaiting the children's return on weekends and summer holidays. On the first floor, the open reading corner, the experience area, and the book display are somewhat quiet after the impact of typhoon number 11, but they are still carefully preserved and ready to serve readers when conditions permit.

Through these everyday stories, it's clear that libraries are built not only on physical facilities or the number of books, but first and foremost on people—loyal readers and dedicated library staff.

It is this strong bond that has created a sustainable reading culture that spreads widely throughout the community. Amidst the ever-changing pace of modern life, the Provincial Library is a familiar anchor of knowledge, where book lovers find faith in the value of books and where reading inspiration is nurtured over time.

Promoting a reading culture

Thai Nguyen Provincial Library delivers books to schools through a book circulation program and a mobile library vehicle.

In 2025, the Provincial Library achieved many significant results in its professional activities and community service. These results demonstrate its efforts to adapt, innovate, and spread a reading culture amidst numerous challenges.

Serving readers continues to be a key priority. During the year, the library issued 700 new reader cards; served nearly 38,000 readers; and circulated over 76,000 books, newspapers, and magazines.

Services provided in the digital environment have also been effective, with thousands of readers accessing the internet room and hundreds of thousands of visits to the library's website. These figures reflect the diverse knowledge access needs of the people and demonstrate the increasingly prominent role of libraries in learning and research.

Simultaneously, the promotion and development of reading culture has been implemented extensively and widely. The library has coordinated dozens of book introductions on the provincial newspaper, radio, and television; organized and participated in many activities associated with major political and cultural events of the country and the locality. Book and newspaper exhibitions, press fairs, book days, poetry festivals, storytelling competitions based on books, and the Reading Culture Ambassador competition have contributed to bringing books closer to all segments of the population, especially students and children.

The work of building and developing the library's collection continues to be emphasized. In 2025, the library will add thousands of new books, receive many donated books, and complete the construction and professional support for several local libraries. As a result, the collection will become increasingly diverse, better meeting the reading, learning, and research needs of readers at both the central and local levels.

A noteworthy highlight is the initiative to bring books to grassroots levels. Thousands of books have been circulated to reading points; mobile library vehicles continue to be effective in many localities and schools. These vehicles carrying knowledge have contributed to narrowing the information access gap, gradually forming and nurturing reading habits in the community.

Reading Day for students of Luong Son Primary School (Bach Quang Ward). Photo: Provided.

The year 2025 also marked the library's efforts in digital transformation, organizational mergers, and responding to and overcoming the consequences of Typhoon No. 11. Despite being affected by the natural disaster, the library's staff quickly overcame difficulties, reorganized the book collection, repaired facilities, and promptly restored operations to serve readers.

Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Library, said: "We want to continue to receive investment in building standard library facilities, developing the digital library system, expanding the network of grassroots libraries, and bringing books and authentic knowledge sources closer to people in all areas."

It is evident that the Thai Nguyen Provincial Library has successfully completed its assigned tasks, with many targets met and exceeded. Based on these concrete results, the library continues to affirm its role as an important cultural institution, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge, the development of reading culture, and the improvement of public awareness in the province.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202601/noi-khoi-nguon-van-hoa-doc-54110df/