Reading culture contributes to "sowing the seeds" of knowledge

After 5 years of implementing the project to develop reading culture in the community in Lao Cai province in the period of 2021 - 2025, from lowland to highland areas, reading culture is not only present in libraries and schools but has spread to the community, contributing to "sowing the seeds" of knowledge, arousing the desire for lifelong learning, building Lao Cai people who love to learn, are creative and compassionate.

Báo Lào Cai•14/11/2025

Implementing Decision No. 329/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister , the province has issued many policies and mechanisms suitable to the characteristics of mountainous areas to develop reading culture. Two important documents are Plan No. 124/KH-UBND on developing reading culture and Plan No. 325/KH-UBND on digital transformation in library activities, which are considered as the guideline for the implementation process.

From that orientation, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province has directed the Provincial Library to act as the core to coordinate with units and localities throughout the province to implement the plan. Action programs are concretized and spread to each locality, school unit, armed forces, where reading culture is not only a movement but has become a part of the spiritual life of the community.

Currently, the whole province has 1 provincial library (with 2 parallel operating facilities), 25 communal libraries and 267 grassroots bookcases. In the past 5 years, Lao Cai Provincial Library has added more than 102,000 new books, bringing the total number of documents to more than 531,000 printed books; 170 types of newspapers, magazines and more than half a million pages of digital documents. In particular, the library has issued and exchanged more than 35,000 reader cards, serving more than 1.1 million people, with more than 2 million books and newspapers in circulation - impressive numbers for a mountainous area.

As a close young reader of the library, Ha Van Khanh in Cam Duong ward expressed: "The library has many types of books, each book brings us a lot of knowledge. The library space is airy and clean, in addition to reading books, I can also participate in many interesting folk games, so I really like coming here."

Not stopping at traditional reading spaces, mobile library activities and digital knowledge spaces have significantly expanded access to information.

Along with that, there are hundreds of programs and events honoring reading culture: Reading Festival, Lifelong Learning Week, Reading Culture Ambassador competitions, Children promoting books... attracting tens of thousands of students to participate each year. These activities not only help children love books more but also inspire the spirit of self-study and self-reading, the foundation for forming a solid personality and knowledge for future generations.

Behind every opened book page is the silent dedication of librarians. Ms. Ha Thi Hoe - librarian of Bao Thang High School No. 2 is one of the typical examples. With two initiatives "Classroom Corner Library" and "Youth Reading Area", she has turned the learning space into a friendly place to share knowledge, attracting thousands of students to read books every month.

“Each small book corner in the classroom helps students self-manage, self-select and self-share. Gradually, reading becomes a joy, not a task,” Ms. Hoe shared.

At Dong Cuong Primary and Secondary School, Dong Cuong Commune, Ms. Truong Thi Kim Oanh - school librarian is a pioneer in digital transformation. With VietBiblio software and online tools, she has created dozens of clips, connected inter-school data, opening up a new approach for students in mountainous areas.

Not stopping there, the movement of socializing libraries has also developed strongly. Thousands of books, hundreds of bookcases have been contributed by organizations, individuals and volunteer groups, worth hundreds of millions of VND. The "Loving Highlands" Club is a typical example. The Club has coordinated with the Provincial Library to build nearly 100 community bookcases in Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai, Muong Khuong...

Thanks to perseverance, the library network and mobile service activities have spread to many special subjects such as armed forces, social work centers; drug rehabilitation facilities and ethnic boarding schools. In particular, mobile library trips carrying hundreds of books and digital devices have become familiar friends of students in the province.

Ly Bao Ngoc, a 7A1 student at Le Hong Phong Secondary School in Luc Yen Commune, shared: "When the mobile library came to the school, we were very happy. There were many good and useful books on the bus, helping us gain new knowledge and discover many things."

Not only students, many parents and people also turn to books as a way of entertainment and learning. Many communal cultural houses have become community reading spots where people come together to read, exchange, and share production skills, family care, and child-rearing.

Ms. Dam Thi Nu in Group 7, Cam Duong Ward said: "Elderly people like us can come here to read books to each other, exchange and learn."

Another highlight is international library cooperation. In the period of 2021 - 2025, the Provincial Library continues to maintain cooperative relations with the Ha Khau District Ethnic Library and the Hong Ha District Library (China), forming a Chinese Reading Room with nearly 1,600 books serving research, language learning and cross-border cultural exchange...

In the age of technology, reading is not limited to paper books. The Provincial Library has built a digital knowledge space; an electronic database system with nearly 200,000 records of books, newspapers, magazines and more than 44,000 digitized documents, allowing readers to search online, register for electronic cards, and borrow documents online.

Mr. Lin Thanh Tuan - Deputy Head of Technology and Communications Department, Lao Cai Provincial Library said: "Every year, we digitize more than 35,000 pages of documents, focusing on documents on folk culture, local customs and practices..., helping people to use digital data sources in the most convenient way."

Looking back over the past 5 years, most of the Project's targets have been achieved and exceeded: 80% of pupils and students have access to information and knowledge; 85% of library users have reading skills, achieving 100% of the target. The reading movement has become a bridge of knowledge, contributing to building a learning society, improving people's knowledge and enriching grassroots cultural life.

Entering the 2026 - 2030 period, Lao Cai identifies reading culture as the spiritual foundation and driving force for human development, closely linked with digital transformation, international integration and building a lifelong learning environment.