To form and develop a reading culture in the community, Thuong Xuan district has paid attention to improving the quality of activities of libraries and bookcases at the grassroots level. From there, building a system of grassroots libraries that develops both in quality and quantity.

Students read books and newspapers at Thuong Xuan District Library.

One of the ways to bring libraries and books closer to readers that Thuong Xuan district has implemented is to promote propaganda and mobilization in many forms, such as through visual propaganda systems, on the radio system... The propaganda content focuses on the role of reading, how to arouse a passion for reading, and build reading habits. Thanks to that, many people have maintained the habit of reading and regularly encourage relatives and the community to read books. Mr. Ngo Hoang Le (Thuong Xuan town) - a close reader of the district library, shared: "Every day I go to the library to read books and newspapers to grasp information and knowledge. If I can't go, I feel restless. Reading books brings many interesting things, so I always encourage my children and grandchildren to maintain the habit of reading books and newspapers every day".

Along with focusing on propaganda, Thuong Xuan District Library has done a good job of building, supplementing and developing document resources. The library's document resources are often supplemented from the Provincial Library or through the form of receiving subsidized books in national target programs and donated books. Up to now, the library has more than 6,100 books with about 8,000 copies of books in 26 subjects and 6 newspapers.

From building a book warehouse, Thuong Xuan District Library has actively built libraries for schools, communes, towns and villages. Every year, Thuong Xuan District Library has selected book sources to circulate books and newspapers to grassroots libraries. In 2023, the district library circulated books and newspapers to Luong Son, Ngoc Phung and Xuan Cam secondary schools. Along with book circulation, library staff have instructed localities and schools on how to arrange and display books and newspapers and organize reading activities to serve readers. To date, 100% of schools in the district have libraries; 15/15 communes and towns have built libraries.

In particular, to make the book circulation more effective, librarians and cultural officers of communes and towns have surveyed people's needs, circulated new books, or books that are practical to people's needs; encouraged the circulation of books between libraries and bookcases to create new sources of materials that attract readers. At the same time, localities have promoted the role of reading and reading culture in village, association and group activities so that people know and come to read and borrow books at libraries and reading rooms.

Along with building a book warehouse and a basic library system, Thuong Xuan District Library has organized many diverse activities, attracting the participation of a large number of people such as: Responding to Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day; book and newspaper exhibitions; book reading festival... In 2023, Thuong Xuan District Library has coordinated with the Provincial Library to organize a book reading festival, serving mobile libraries at Ngoc Phung and Luong Son Secondary Schools. Through the activities of the book reading festival, students are propagated about the role of reading, experience the conveniences of mobile libraries. The activities have contributed to arousing the passion for reading and love of books in each person, thereby gradually forming the habit of reading for each individual. At the same time, it enhances the responsibility of all levels, sectors, functional agencies and social organizations for building and developing a reading culture in the locality.

In addition, schools in the district are always proactive in supplementing book sources, fully meeting the needs of teachers and students for research, study and knowledge supplement. Most schools organize reading activities during extracurricular hours; arrange reading time at the library and borrow books for students in the school. Thanks to that, it contributes to building reading habits, reading skills, and forming a reading culture right in the school. Cam Bao Tram, a student at Thuong Xuan Town Primary School, said: "I often read books and stories after stressful study hours. Reading helps me relax and gives me more useful knowledge."

It can be seen that the library system at the grassroots level and the developed schools have made a positive contribution to spreading the habit of reading books among students and the community, promoting the building of a learning society. However, the activities of the library are still limited due to the lack of facilities and equipment, the lack of abundant book sources, and the lack of new books, especially in the communal and town libraries and bookcases in the villages and hamlets. The library staff is still lacking and weak somewhere, failing to diversify reading activities and create attractiveness for the library. Because, in reality, many grassroots bookcases have been forgotten after a period of formation and communal and town libraries are often sparsely populated.

Talking about the task of developing a reading culture in the community and building a system of grassroots libraries, Deputy Director of the Center for Culture, Information, Sports and Tourism of Thuong Xuan district Nguyen Van Truong said: "The unit will continue to comprehensively and strongly innovate library activities. In particular, focusing on mobilizing resources to build book warehouses and implementing propaganda, promotion, connecting readers, and applying information technology".

Article and photos: Thuy Linh