The story of spreading reading culture in the digital age is always a matter of concern for many people. Thua Thien Hue Newspaper records opinions from many sides related to developing reading culture and inspiring reading.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Thach (Founder of the program "Rural Bookification"): Continuing to research the reading promotion model
Our society continues to face difficulties in promoting reading culture because online games, tiktok, and movies on youtube are increasingly developing. The image that is easily seen is students burying their heads in their smartphones from urban to rural areas. Meanwhile, our educational structure has not changed in the direction of a list of books that students must read.
Therefore, in addition to connecting book sources to help individuals build bookcases to serve the community, bookcases to classrooms, bookcases to parishes, pagodas... so that books reach more readers, we continue to research and create a reading promotion model. From March 2022 to present, we have connected to bring books to 52 kindergartens in 12 provinces. Mobilizing schools to help preschool children listen to books every day like Americans, Western Europeans... have done for the past hundred years is what we have been doing since 2014 to present.
I just shared the idea of bringing 550 books from America, Western Europe, Japan, Israel, India to every classroom from kindergarten to high school. I calculated that if we gave them to all schools in the country, it would cost about 4.6 million copies. I have also worked with a few bookstores, a book costs about 35,000 VND, they can do it, plus 15% profit, so a book will cost about 40,000 VND. Many people I have contacted are ready to do this. Hopefully, this will continue to spread, encouraging reading in society.
Ms. Phan Bao Hoa (Owner of Hai Hac Book space): The need for reading is still high, but there is a lack of space for books.
From the perspective of a passionate reader, who spent time working in book marketing before entering the book business, I realize that people still have the need to read, even more. The problem here is why they have the need, but the number of people looking for paper books is not much at present.
Observing many ages, I see that some people seek books because they love them, some for entertainment, and some for other needs. Children under 10 years old are the age group that loves books if they have the environment. However, it must be admitted that we lack the environment for books. Here, I want to emphasize that the organization of space plays a very important role in developing a reading culture that is currently rarely paid attention to in many places.
In addition, what I also worry about is that there is too little space for books when there are still too few bookstores on the street, or there are bookstores but they mainly sell stationery. Therefore, I hope there will be more policies to support small to large book businesses, with more space for books, so that books can reach more people.
Ms. Hoang Thi Kim Oanh (Director of the Provincial General Library): Applying technology to promote reading culture
To promote and foster reading culture in the current digital age, the Provincial General Library, in addition to investing in necessary facilities and equipment, also aims to supplement digital information resources to serve readers.
In particular, the work of cataloging documents has been promoted and the stages of document processing on electronic library management software have been synchronously deployed, such as searching and searching for books online, exploiting e-book documents, registering and issuing cards online. The library has also applied effective and convenient tools on cyberspace to promote activities of introducing, promoting, communicating about the library, and raising awareness about the role and necessity of reading.
Along with that, innovate and renovate the space and facilities in reading rooms, book and document warehouses to facilitate readers' study and research. Regularly organize activities and competitions related to books and reading culture, support the local library system, and promote the expansion of grassroots bookcases to spread reading culture in the community.
Writer Le Vu Truong Giang: Reading culture is self-awareness
We need to identify that reading culture includes many behaviors, such as: reading books, collecting books, building bookcases, libraries, besides publishing and printing activities... But the most important is still the act of reading. In recent years, the promotion and development of reading culture has been focused on, built by managers and state management agencies, oriented policies, movements, response of the social community and participation of each individual. But as mentioned above, reading books is aimed at each individual who fully converges reading habits, reading interests and reading skills, then reading culture will promote its value. Reading books is the way to build a learning society in the most sustainable way.
I realize that we have paid much attention to reading culture, concretized by policies, activities, and programs to stimulate and promote reading culture, build reading habits, and move towards forming a reading culture in society. We have had Vietnam Book Day on April 21 every year, not to mention many other activities of individuals and organizations. And we need to be aware that reading culture is self-contained, self-conscious, and it is associated with the sense of responsibility and progress of each individual, instead of being a movement activity, coming up again and again and then sinking into the hustle and bustle and worries.
Therefore, to promote reading culture must come from reading culture education. Reading culture education as well as human education must be linked to family, school, society, shaping from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it is necessary to have a more extensive and popular reading culture education strategy, so that each citizen understands the value of reading culture as a quality, a factor in creating knowledge, personality and promoting the nation. At the same time, it is necessary to break down unnecessary prejudices about reading culture, increase the attractiveness of books, reduce other interactions with forms of filling idle time such as surfing the phone, internet, social networks, playing games... That is not a simple task. Therefore, it requires the determination of the government, the social community, schools, families and dedicated individuals who spend a lot of time and activities to promote and build a reading culture right now and forever.
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