Generations of readers, especially young readers, now have many different means and options to access knowledge and information. Photo: Hoang Tuyet/Tin Tuc Newspaper
Opportunities for developing reading culture
Referring to the necessity of reading culture in community life, many opinions agree that each good book is always a companion, helping each person find many new things, improve knowledge, develop creative thinking, and enrich life experience. In the era of digital technology, information technology, digital transformation is taking place strongly, bringing many conveniences. Regarding reading culture, in addition to paper books, e-books and audiobooks have been and are being formed and developed. Generations of readers, especially young readers, now have many means and options to access different knowledge and information.
According to Director of the Library Department (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) Kieu Thuy Nga: Like many other fields, the digital transformation process has brought many opportunities and challenges to the library sector. The remarkable development of information technology has created many new information resources, digital information sources, with many advantages in the ability to share, store, exchange information, attracting a large number of users, thereby forming new habits for modern readers. In addition, the information needs of users are increasing, the number of people needing information is increasing. All of these are requiring the development of digital libraries and digital information resources, meeting social needs, contributing to promoting the development of reading culture in community life.
Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Nguyen Nguyen, Director of the Department of Publishing, Printing and Distribution (Ministry of Information and Communications) said: Digital transformation is a common trend. For the publishing sector, digital transformation creates diversification of products, forms, and publishing models, while creating a publishing market, moving towards a "story" of borderless publishing. For the book industry, digital transformation is a new driving force, helping to expand the scope to reach readers.
From the perspective of a parent and a regular reader, Ms. Nguyen Kim Nga, Linh Xuan Ward (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: On weekends or holidays, I take my children for a walk, go to the Book Street to play, relax and choose to buy some books suitable for their age. In addition to the content, I find that books now often have a very "eye-catching" printed and presented form that attracts readers. As for me, I often read e-books through applications downloaded on my phone, which is very convenient during trips or while waiting for my children. Switching from reading paper books to reading online is part of the current reading trend. But I still like to buy beautifully printed paper books, with good content or by famous authors to keep for a long time or as gifts for relatives and friends.
Development associated with digital transformation
In reality, developing a reading culture in the current digital age requires industries and functional units to simultaneously deploy many suitable solutions to create a reading environment and friendly, convenient utilities for the public.
Director of the Library Department Kieu Thuy Nga informed: Currently in our country, the library network is a cultural institution that develops diversely from the central to the grassroots level. In the context of digital transformation, many libraries are gradually shifting from the traditional library model to building traditional libraries combined with modern libraries, electronic libraries, and digital libraries. The operation of the public library system has been innovated and improved in quality to ensure the need for access to information, knowledge, and development of reading culture. Electronic documents, digital documents, and online services in the library have been enhanced, creating a friendly and convenient reading environment and utilities for users.
In addition to maintaining traditional library services such as reading, borrowing and returning documents, and on-site information consultation, many libraries have increased mobile and online services, remote access to digital documents, databases, books, and electronic magazines to serve information resources via the Internet.
Sharing experiences in developing reading culture in the context of digital transformation, Ms. Bui Thuy Hai, Director of Quang Ninh Provincial Library said: Quang Ninh Provincial Library updated and upgraded modern digital document management software, technical facilities with suitable features, making it convenient for users to access information, attracting readers to the library. However, the library determined that it is still necessary to maintain the development of traditional libraries in parallel with promoting digital transformation.
Ms. Bui Thuy Hai also suggested that in the coming time, libraries need to pay attention to gradually applying artificial intelligence (AI) to some library activities and services. Library units can create a collection of Talking Books - Storytelling according to readers' requests; set up automatic games when readers come to the library (via AI), so that readers can interact with the computer to answer the knowledge games pre-installed on the computer.
From the actual operation of the unit in the field of publishing and distributing books, the representative of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Limited Liability Company said: Currently, the integration of audio, images, videos and many other means to create multimedia experiences for readers, at the same time building an online reading community, increasing connections between authors, publishers and readers through forums, social networks, etc. is being implemented by the unit.
Recently, at the end of October 2024, on the occasion of the Traditional Day of the Publishing, Printing and Book Distribution Industry of Vietnam, and in response to the National Digital Transformation Day, the Book and Digital Transformation Week was successfully organized by the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with a number of units at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street (District 1) contributing to the development of reading culture in the context of digital transformation. Readers experienced more than 3,000 e-books, audiobooks and many new forms of book access, and experienced book technology associated with digital transformation.
On the occasion of the Lunar New Year of At Ty, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street continues to attract a large number of visitors to visit and buy books, newspapers and many other unique publications. At the same time, people can experience the form of e-books and audiobooks, bringing very interesting multi-sensory experiences. Affirming the brand of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street as a cultural destination that attracts people and tourists, where people come to visit, read and buy books, and at the same time interact with authors, in the coming time, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Limited Company will promote activities to introduce e-books and audiobooks in addition to introducing traditional printed books, contributing to the development of reading culture in the context of digital transformation.
Thanh Tra (Vietnam News Agency)
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