Children study for nine months during the academic year. When the summer holidays start, they would rather indulge in more “fun activities” and are usually reluctant to turn to books. However, it is important to help them balance summer fun with activities that have an educational content, and libraries play an important role in helping children foster their literary skills and reading.
But what is the state of libraries in the country?
Statistics show that until September 2014, there were 3,172 libraries across the country, of which 2,182 were institutional, 965 collaborative and 25 independent. According to a survey, Tehran was the top province with the highest number of libraries, followed by Esfahan and Khuzestan. In Tehran, there are 294 libraries of which 137 are institutional, 154 collaborative and three, independent. Ilam, with 35 libraries, was at the bottom of the list, Honaronline reported.
Generally, libraries are well-equipped to expose children to non-academic literature and provide meaningful learning opportunities. While family encouragement plays a crucial role in children’s reading achievements, statistics suggest otherwise - they put the least effort in this respect.
Libraries are generally filled with students with academic purposes. Even at the annual Tehran International Book Fair, it is observed that there is a wide gap between academic and non-academic book buyers. Thus, the non-academic reading culture is in dire straits in the country.
The summer season has started and should be taken as an opportunity to promote reading and let children reap the benefits of greater literary exposure by putting “libraries” on their list of holiday activities.
