Reading culture in the digital age

Reading is not only a good habit, but also demonstrates a positive learning attitude and a conscious effort to improve one's knowledge and skills; moreover, reading is considered a cultured behavior. On the occasion of Vietnam Book Day, April 21st, a reporter from Thai Nguyen Newspaper interviewed Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Library, about reading culture in the digital age.

Provincial library staff guide young readers in searching for information in the internet room.

PV: Could you share about the role of the Provincial Library in promoting a reading culture in the community?

Comrade Pham Minh Tuan: Libraries, especially public libraries, play a crucial role in promoting reading culture in the community. Libraries have the function and nhiệm vụ of organizing the shared use of information resources, information products, and library services; disseminating knowledge and cultural values ​​of the nation and humanity; serving the research, learning, and entertainment needs of the people; developing reading culture and contributing to creating a lifelong learning environment for the people, building a learning society, raising the intellectual level of the people, and building well-rounded Vietnamese individuals. Among them, the Provincial Library is the leading public library in the area, possessing comprehensive information resources to serve the people.

PV: What activities did the provincial library organize to celebrate Vietnam Book Day this year?

Comrade Pham Minh Tuan: In implementing Decision No. 1862/QD-TTg dated November 4, 2021, of the Prime Minister on organizing the Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day; and the Plan for organizing the Fourth Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Provincial Library has advised the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to submit to the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province for issuance of Plan No. 83/KH-UBND dated April 4, 2025, of the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province on organizing the Fourth Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025 in Thai Nguyen province; and Plan No. 1335/KH-SVHTTDL dated April 8, 2025, of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on organizing activities in response to the Fourth Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day in 2025.

The legal library at the Bo Dau hamlet cultural center in Co Lung commune (Phu Luong district) is being effectively maintained.

Regarding the Provincial Library, the unit coordinated with the Department of Education and Training of Song Cong City and Song Cong High School to organize the 2025 Book and Reading Culture Festival and launched the Thai Nguyen Province Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2025 on April 18, 2025 at Song Cong High School. Prior to that, from March 2025, the Provincial Library guided and assisted many schools in the area in organizing activities in response to the Fourth Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2025; organizing mobile library services using multi-purpose mobile library vehicles, and circulating books to libraries and book collections at the grassroots level.

PV: In the digital age, readers can read and learn anywhere. So, what solutions has the Provincial Library implemented to attract readers?

Comrade Pham Minh Tuan: In the digital age, besides reading traditional books and newspapers, the demand for reading and learning anywhere is growing, which is an inevitable trend. To meet the needs of readers, the Provincial Library has recently implemented the task of building a digital library system for Thai Nguyen province, including integrated library software, websites, hardware equipment, and digitized documents. Initially, this will serve library operations and support readers in searching for and retrieving library materials anytime, anywhere.

Many young children are passionate about reading traditional books.

PV: In the digital age, readers' reading habits have changed, so how has the Provincial Library adapted?

Comrade Pham Minh Tuan: As mentioned above, to meet the increasingly diverse needs of readers, including reading on smart devices, the Provincial Library has digitized nearly 200,000 pages of documents, including documents on the geography of Thai Nguyen and documents on the Communist Party of Vietnam, on President Ho Chi Minh and other Party leaders; and built a digitized collection of ancient documents in the province with 150 units of documents, including royal decrees. In 2025 and the following years, the Provincial Library will continue to upgrade its library software, digitize documents, and purchase digital documents to better serve readers and the people.

PV: Do you have any message you'd like to convey to the community and book lovers?

Comrade Pham Minh Tuan: We are fortunate to live in a world of books; let's cherish books, spread the culture of reading, and together build a community that loves books. We read to grow, to connect, and to share.

PV: Thank you, comrade!

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202504/van-hoa-doc-thoi-cong-nghe-so-5c82489/