The organization of the marathon coincided with the National Reading Day, which falls on September 29 of each year, and in line with the National Reading Strategy adopted by the Culture, Youth and Sports Committee in the Senate under the title 'Towards a Reading Jordan'.
Qassisiya confirmed that the Reading Marathon, which started in 2020, has become an annual national event that contributes to spreading the culture of reading and encouraging members of the community to practice it interactively, noting that the initiative started with a simple idea in one of the branches of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Library, before gradually expanding to include various branches, institutions and partners across the Kingdom.
She explained that the expansion of the scope of the marathon and the establishment of wide partnerships with national and community institutions contributed to the consolidation of September 29 as a national reading day, after it was officially adopted by the Prime Ministry, which enhanced the presence of reading as a sustainable cultural and community practice.
Qassisiya appreciated the efforts of the Foundation's main partners in the success of the marathon since its inception, at the forefront of which are the Ministries of Education, Human Resources Development, Youth, Culture, and the Greater Amman Municipality, alongside educational, cultural, scientific, artistic, media, municipal and civil society institutions.
She pointed out that this year the Foundation paid special attention to enhancing the participation of people with disabilities in the events of the marathon, by providing suitable places for them and providing 'Braille' devices for people with visual impairments, confirming that the Abdul Hameed Shoman Libraries are continuously prepared for the use of this category.
The Reading Marathon aims to encourage members of the community to read, form small communities of readers, and introduce new books and knowledge sources, in an atmosphere that combines learning and fun, enhancing the role of the library in spreading culture and knowledge and making reading a part of the daily life of its visitors.
In addition to reading sessions, the marathon included a cultural program that hosted a number of writers, intellectuals and those interested in cultural affairs, to talk about the importance of culture and the role of reading in enhancing cultural action in the Kingdom, through the 'Marathon Studio', which was established four years ago and provides live broadcasting of events from the Foundation's center in Jabal Amman.
Since its inception, the initiative has witnessed continuous growth, moving from a limited activity in one of the Shoman Library branches to a wide national project, attracting school and university students, families, readers and educational and cultural institutions from various governorates of the Kingdom.
