Responding to Book Day and Reading Culture: Reading Spaces in the Digital Age

From shared space…

Arriving at the National Library in the late afternoon, passing through the reading rooms from the 2nd to the 5th floors, the reporter was surprised because almost every room was still crowded with readers.

From the multimedia reading room, the reading room for businessmen and researchers, the social science book room, the natural science book room, etc., there are not many empty rooms left. The staff in charge of the rooms all said that because the space of each room is different, the number of readers coming is also different. On average, the rooms welcome from a few dozen to hundreds of readers every day, of all ages, professions, including foreigners, but perhaps the most crowded are still students.

In the current context of limiting extra teaching and learning, to meet the needs of self-study and research, students are increasingly coming to the library. Especially now, the movement of group study and group discussion is developing - something that was previously almost absent in the quiet, serious environment of the library.

Multimedia reading room at the National Library.

Talking with student Duong Thuy Huong Giang - University of Transport and her group of friends, they said that although their school also has a library, they still go to the National Library to study because not only does it have a variety of rich documents that not every library has, but it also has many convenient reading rooms, such as a multimedia room with a modern system of machines, helping to access electronic documents very quickly and conveniently. In addition, they go to the National Library to study in groups because there is a "Sharing Space" room here that is very suitable for exchanging and discussing topics. With an open space, they can both study and relax, so they do not feel pressured or constrained like in other places.

Among the many students in the “Sharing Space” room, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich (63 years old, Hanoi) also said that although she is no longer of school or working age, she still comes to the library regularly. For her, going to the library is not only to gain knowledge but also to rest, relax, meet friends, and discuss an issue that interests her.

In addition to the “Sharing Space” room, Ms. Bich also often goes to the social science book room. Here, she does not choose audiobooks or online books, but still chooses the traditional way of reading, because when reading, she wants her mind to be as relaxed as possible, turning each page, reading and pondering at the same time, skimming over parts she does not like, and reading and re-reading parts she likes…

Every year, the National Library has tens of thousands of people registering for reading cards and this number is constantly increasing every year, showing that reading culture still has a certain attraction and position in modern society.

Comfortable rooms for businessmen and researchers at the National Library.

In the digital age, everyone has many choices and also has to face many pressures in life, especially students. Every day, in addition to studying the main subjects, they also have to compete with extra classes, learn skills..., so to have peaceful moments, leisurely explore life through the pages of books, open up new horizons..., something that seems simple but is extremely difficult.

…to short, light works

Sharing about this issue, MSc. Kieu Thuy Nga - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that in the current context, reading, especially among young people, is facing many challenges. Due to the pressure of life, of studying..., the psychology of being lazy to read books, afraid to read books is increasing. The trend of reading books has also changed significantly, both in terms of approach and content of interest.

Due to limited time, today's readers prefer to read quickly, skim, and select works with short, concise content instead of reading thick, in-depth books.

The shared space at the National Library is designed to be open, helping readers always feel comfortable and relaxed when reading.

Young readers are more interested in books about self-development, life skills, business - startups and technology. Books about positive thinking, time management, building successful habits... are read more. At the same time, books about personal finance, investment and business management are also searched for a lot, reflecting the trend that young people are increasingly interested in careers and getting rich.

Works on psychology, mental health, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital transformation are also of interest and sought after.

In modern times, despite changing trends, literary books still have a certain position. Classic novels, foreign literature books, detective stories, and romance novels still have a loyal readership. Short, accessible literary works are increasingly being "introduced", helping readers approach reading culture in a gentler way.

MSc. Kieu Thuy Nga - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In general, in the digital age, although approaches have changed, the need for reading is still very large. It is important that publishers, libraries and those who are passionate about reading culture need to have new and creative directions to attract and retain readers.

And the library corners are very "chill"

In Hanoi, Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, a top school in the country in terms of achievements and many educational activities, is also one of the schools with many innovations in the model of building "green libraries" and "friendly libraries" in Hanoi.

With the motto of diversifying library space, creating a friendly and comfortable reading environment for students, the school has been very creative in building open, diverse and convenient reading spaces, helping students "learn while playing, play while learning" with corners such as: "Study Green Corner Library", "Ams Book Cafe", "Mini Library" in the lobby of each building.

Study Green Corner library of Hanoi-Amsterdam High School.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Tram, the school’s literature teacher, said that every day a large number of students come here, they can find materials to read and discuss in groups very enthusiastically. Thanks to these library corners, the students love school and attend school more often.

In addition, to promote the spirit of proactive reading, practice the habit of reading every day, and create a community of students who love reading, the school's youth union also launched the movement "A good book every month". Participating in the movement, students can create many ways to share about the books they read: Write a review, write a letter to a character in the work, design a postcard to introduce the book to friends, create a video review of the book...

To spread the reading culture in the community, especially from schools, according to MSc. Kieu Thuy Nga, many schools in localities have also built and successfully applied creative library models to encourage students to access books. Typical examples include the "Green Library" model at schools: Le Hong Phong Primary School, Tran Phu Secondary School (Phu Ly City, Ha Nam); Hoang Hoa Tham Primary School (Thanh Hoa City); Chim Van Primary School, Chim Van Commune (Son La Province)...

With color-coded book classification, lively decorated spaces and activity areas such as language game corners, creative corners, etc., the "Friendly Library" model is also widely deployed in many schools, helping students access books naturally, while promoting students' unlimited imagination.

The space of "Ams Book Cafe" is very "chill", creating great inspiration for students every time they come to read books.

The “Friendly Library” system at primary schools in 10 provinces and cities including Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh and Ca Mau… are typical bright spots.

Join hands to spread reading culture

Besides school, Master Kieu Thuy Nga believes that family is the first place to form and nurture reading habits for each child. However, today, most families, especially young families, spend too much time on social networks and pay little attention to reading. Even because they are not trained in reading habits from a young age, many children gradually forget about books or worse, are afraid of books.

To maintain the habit of reading books to help children develop their intelligence, enrich their knowledge, and perfect their personality, families whose pillars are parents and grandparents must patiently "read books with their children"; build family bookshelves, clan bookshelves; develop the model "Family reading books - Connecting love"...

Not only in families and schools, reading culture also needs to be strongly promoted in agencies and units. Many organizations have established "Reading Culture Spaces", built miniature libraries with a variety of books on economics, politics, culture - society, law... to raise awareness and skills for officers and employees. Typical examples include Hai Phong City Police; Social Labor Education Center 2, Tien Phong Plastic Joint Stock Company, Bach Dang Shipbuilding Company (Hai Phong)...

The mini library is designed in the lobby of the buildings at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School, very convenient to help students "learn while playing, play while learning".

These models not only contribute to preserving and developing reading culture in the community but also play an important role in building a sustainable learning society, creating a solid knowledge foundation for each individual and collective.

However, MSc. Kieu Thuy Nga also said that according to statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications in 2024, currently only about 30% of Vietnamese people read books regularly, 44% read occasionally and up to 26% do not read books at all. On average, a Vietnamese person only reads about 4 books per year, of which 2.8 are textbooks, which shows that voluntary reading to expand knowledge is not really popular in the community. Compared to other countries in the world, the reading habit of Vietnamese people is still quite modest.

To maintain and develop reading culture in the digital age, according to MSc. Kieu Thuy Nga, in addition to promoting the reading model in families - schools - society, publishers and libraries also need to flexibly combine printed books and e-books, promote the application of technology such as digital libraries, audiobooks, artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest suitable books.

In addition, it is necessary to invest in developing libraries, community reading spaces, organizing book fairs and seminars to spread the passion for reading. Policies to support book prices, develop family bookshelves, community bookshelves, etc. are also important factors to expand and popularize reading culture.

To build soft power for the country, to form a generation of citizens with intelligence, creativity, morality, and a healthy lifestyle, the cooperation of the whole society is needed.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/huong-ung-ngay-sach-va-van-hoa-doc-nhung-khong-gian-doc-sach-trong-thoi-dai-so-post869061.html