A new Persian-language application has recently been released and aims to facilitate reading through digital devices.
The app named Taaghche (meaning "bookshelf" in Persian) primarily hopes to help promote reading, local technology news website ITNA reported.
According to the developers, several people think that the advancement of modern technologies has reduced people's inclination toward reading and many prefer to spend their time browsing through social media websites. While that may be true for some, they believe that the penetration of smartphones has also facilitated reading.
Several people may not have access to good books and bookstores, or might not be able to afford buying hard copies, which could reduce their interest in reading. Hence, this app aims to redress the dropping number of book readers.
Although this new software is new, it has won the trust of many publishers and book lovers. Electronic versions of books and Persian magazines are legally available to users through this app. Prices are affordable and some are even offered for free.
Promoters predict that the app will be particularly popular with Iranian expatriates who find it difficult to get access to hard copies of Iranian books. The app has been released for devices running on either Android or iOs, and is available for download on play store and app store or can be downloaded via website http://taaghche.ir/.
Iran’s per capita book reading stood at 74 minutes in 2013, a disconcertingly low figure.
Announcing this at the time, Mansour Vaezi, secretary-general of Iran’s Public Libraries, noted that this includes the reading of Qur’an, religious books, newspapers and online articles, IRNA reported.
