Igniting a passion for reading in the highlands of Lai Chau.

GD&TĐ - Reading culture in the mountainous region of Lai Chau is gradually becoming more profound and practical, contributing to raising the intellectual level of the people and eliminating outdated customs and traditions.

Reading culture in Lai Chau is gradually becoming more profound.

Attracting readers to the library.

The rapid development of information technology has led to books seemingly being "forgotten." Furthermore, due to the inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure of public libraries, which is not suitable for their functions and tasks, the number of readers visiting libraries remains limited.

In response to this situation, the public library system in Lai Chau province has organized many activities to attract readers and encourage their participation in library activities.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Thai, Director of Lai Chau Provincial Library, said: “In 2024, the provincial public library system successfully fulfilled its mission of building reading habits and serving reading needs. The unit issued and renewed 800 reader cards. The number of readers visiting the library and participating in library activities was approximately 83,000, of which over 10,000 visited the library to research materials via computer network access; and over 70,000 visited the library for other activities.”

The Lai Chau provincial library network includes a system of public libraries (1 provincial library, 8 district and city libraries); a system of specialized libraries and book collections including 108 legal book collections at the People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns; 158 book collections in villages and neighborhoods; 1 library and 13 book collections belonging to the Provincial Border Guard; 208 school and vocational training center libraries; 1 library and 2 book collections belonging to the Provincial Military Command; 2 libraries belonging to the Provincial Police; and 15 book collections at commune cultural post offices .

According to the Lai Chau Provincial Library's assessment, library operations generally meet the learning and entertainment needs of the local population. Currently, the province's public library system has 150,000 books. Of these, the provincial library has 79,000 books and the district libraries have 71,000 books.

The Lai Chau Provincial Library is providing digital transformation training for primary schools in Muong Te district.

In particular, since March 1st, the Lai Chau Provincial Library has launched an electronic library, facilitating readers in searching for and accessing information anytime, anywhere, contributing to the development of reading culture in the province.

In addition, on April 18th, the Lai Chau Provincial Library, in coordination with the Muong Te District Department of Education and Training, organized a training course on the topic of "Digital Transformation of Libraries; Trends in Technology Application in Libraries; Using the Vietbiblio Shared Library Management System and the Lai Chau Electronic Library" for leaders and library staff of primary schools in Muong Te district.

“With the benefits and effectiveness of the software, which is free and easy to use, school libraries will apply it in practice to increasingly meet the needs of readers. This is also an opportunity for staff participating in the training course to exchange and share experiences in building a network of high-quality, synchronized, and modern school libraries,” said Mr. Nguyen Khac Thai.

Promoting a reading culture

In response to the 4th National Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025, the Lai Chau Provincial Library has also developed a plan and coordinated with libraries in its network to organize communication activities about books and reading culture. These include organizing the 7th "Painting Based on Books" contest; and coordinating the "Reading Culture Ambassador" contest. In addition, they will hold exhibitions and provide mobile book services at schools and localities.

Students participate in reading at the launching ceremony in response to the 4th Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025.

On April 16th, at Le Quy Don Specialized High School, the People's Committee of Lai Chau province organized the launching ceremony to respond to the 4th Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025 with the messages: "Reading culture - Connecting communities", "Together with books, entering the era of national progress", "Reading books - enriching knowledge, nurturing aspirations, promoting innovation and creativity".

The activities in response will focus on regular community outreach and a peak period from April 15th to May 2nd, 2025; creative promotion on social media and digital platforms about "How books change you?"; sharing photos and videos about an inspiring book...

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Mr. Tong Thanh Hai, Standing Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, assessed that reading culture in the province has made remarkable progress; 100% of communes have book collections and community post offices. The network of school libraries, reading rooms in armed forces units, agencies, organizations, private bookstores, etc., has been developed in remote, disadvantaged, and particularly difficult areas, gradually creating conditions for people to access books more easily, meeting their needs for cultural and spiritual enjoyment, and contributing to building and developing reading culture.

“Books are not only a means of containing knowledge, but also a ‘tonic’ for the soul, a mirror reflecting human character. Reading culture is not just a personal habit, but also the foundation of a learning society and a sustainably developing nation,” Mr. Tong Thanh Hai stated.

To promote effective reading, Giang Ma Secondary School (Tam Duong District) has assigned specific tasks to library staff to maintain the organization and management of books. Simultaneously, they guide teachers and students in selecting and borrowing books. Students participate in reading during recess, after class, and in the evenings for boarding students. Teachers encourage students to write reviews of the books they have read, creating motivation for them to actively read, develop writing skills, and express their thoughts and life skills.

Ma Thi Su, a student in class 9A2 at Giang Ma Secondary School, shared: “Every day, I make sure to go to the library to read for about 30 minutes. Through reading, I acquire a lot of invaluable knowledge that is useful for my studies and life.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen, a librarian at Giang Ma Secondary School, said: “I am always dedicated to spreading the reading culture in the school library. Students can read books during breaks between classes and during extracurricular activities. In addition, the library also lends books to students to read at home, especially boarding students, so they can participate in reading sessions in the evenings.”

Teachers and students of Ho Thau Primary and Secondary School read books in the school library.

Over the years, Ho Thau Primary and Secondary School in Tam Duong district has consistently promoted the development of reading culture within the school.

Mr. Nguyen Binh Dien, the school principal, said: “In the 2024-2025 school year, the school will have 20 classes and 498 students, mainly children of the Dao ethnic group. Currently, the school has a school library and a community library with about 2,000 books. The school's community library is open on weekdays for parents and students to read. The school library is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and students can also borrow books to take home.”

In response to this year's Book and Reading Culture Day, Ho Thau Primary and Secondary School is organizing two competitions: "Reflections on a Good Book" and "Parents Reading with Their Children".

“Through these competitions, we have contributed to developing a reading culture among students, forming reading habits, interests, skills, and an appreciation for books, thereby building, developing, and spreading the reading movement in schools and the community. From there, we create a beneficial and healthy playground for teachers, students, and people in the area,” Mr. Nguyen Binh Dien shared.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/thap-lua-dam-me-doc-sach-o-vung-cao-lai-chau-post728253.html