From a cozy reading nook to a space for community bonding.
Trung Hoa village currently has 276 households with nearly 980 inhabitants, of which about 98% are Catholic. The villagers mainly earn their living by making traditional birdcages, with an average income of about 90 million VND per person per year. Amidst the bustling life of the craft village, the appearance of a community library at the village's cultural center has opened up a meaningful cultural space for people of all ages.
The library currently has over 200 titles in a wide variety of genres, including law books, Catholic books, children's books, culture and social studies , life skills, foreign languages, and literature. What's special is that the model is built on the principle of "serving multiple generations," ensuring that people of all ages can find a suitable book.
On weekends or late afternoons, the Trung Hoa village cultural center becomes more bustling than usual. Elderly people seek out books on culture and spiritual life; young people read law books and self-help books; and children are captivated by comic books and children's books.
The appearance of the bookshelf has brought people closer together. The cultural center, which was previously only used for meetings, has now become a warm and familiar "meeting place for knowledge."
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thong, Head of the Elderly Association in Trung Hoa village, shared that since the community library was established, the villagers have been very enthusiastic and frequently go to the community center to read books.
“The elderly come to read books related to senior citizens to live happily, healthily, and usefully, helping their children and grandchildren feel secure in their work. Young people also come to find books on law and life skills to study and stay away from social vices. And the children often come here to read stories and learn from good role models to follow,” Ms. Thong said.
Although simple, these reading spaces are gradually becoming a part of the daily lives of local residents. Many parents feel more at ease knowing their children have an additional healthy space to spend time during the summer.
Promoting a reading culture from the grassroots level.
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, head of Trung Hoa village, the community library currently has over 200 books and will continue to be supplemented with many new genres to meet the needs of the people.
"Recently, many elderly people have been coming to the cultural center to read books in the afternoons. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays, hundreds of students come to read and learn useful knowledge," Mr. Thang shared.
According to Mr. Thang, in the coming time, village officials will continue to supplement the children's books, cultural and social books, English books, and law books, especially those related to traffic safety and life skills for children.
"We hope that the children will have more enriching activities during the summer, thereby forming a reading habit and enhancing their knowledge. This is not only the wish of the village officials but also receives the support and participation of all the people," Mr. Thang added.
Nguyen Gia Han, a local student, excitedly shared: “Before, I used to stay home on weekends using my phone, but since the bookshelf was installed, my friends and I have been going to the community center to read. I feel very happy because there are so many useful things to learn.”
Starting from a small corner with simple bookshelves, the community library in Trung Hoa village is beginning to show effectiveness in spreading reading culture at the grassroots level. It doesn't require grand gestures; with the right attention, appropriate methods, and the collective efforts of the community, books can become much more accessible to the people.
This model also raises expectations that more community libraries will be built in villages throughout Dan Hoa commune, so that reading culture can be sustainably maintained and become a beautiful aspect of the spiritual life of people in the new rural areas.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/xa-dan-hoa-lan-toa-van-hoa-doc-tu-tu-sach-cong-dong-786339.html
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