Al-Darabeh: Reading is an investment in the human being and Jordan's future
National Library celebrates National Reading Day and offers over 10,000 books for free
Amman4 min read
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The Director General of the National Library Department, Firas Al-Darabeh, deputizing for the Minister of Culture, inaugurated yesterday the activities of the National Reading Day, organized by the National Library Department in cooperation with the Jordanian Library and Information Association and the Knowledge Production and Cultural Publishing Association, with the participation of a number of cultural and knowledge institutions and entities.
Al-Darabeh emphasized, during the activities held at the headquarters of the National Library Department in the presence of a number of intellectuals, writers, researchers, individuals interested in cultural affairs, and representatives of supporting bodies, that reading is not a seasonal activity or a cultural luxury, but rather a real investment in the human being and the future of the nation.
Al-Darabeh stressed the Ministry of Culture's interest in supporting initiatives that contribute to bringing the book closer to members of society and promoting reading as an essential gateway to building a conscious human being capable of continuous learning, creativity, and innovation.
He said that designating a national day for reading does not aim to confine reading to a single occasion, but rather to emphasize the necessity of making it an integral part of daily life, pointing out that building a knowledge society begins with building a conscious reader who possesses the ability to think, analyze, and critique.
He added that rapid transformations in the digital era have made reading a cognitive necessity that transcends its cultural dimension, especially with the accelerating development in artificial intelligence techniques and the changing methods of producing and accessing knowledge.
He explained that technology, no matter how capable it is of accessing and summarizing information, cannot absolve humans from the responsibility of questioning, analyzing, verifying, and distinguishing between correct and misleading information, stressing that "the more technology develops, the greater our need for a conscious reader."
Al-Darabeh pointed out the importance of the role played by national libraries in the era of digital transformation, as spaces for knowledge, dialogue, and learning, alongside their responsibility in preserving the national memory, safeguarding documentary heritage, and making it available to generations.
He noted that the National Library Department opened its doors during the National Reading Day activities to children, students, families, writers, researchers, and readers, making available more than 10,000 books for free, in a step aimed at enhancing access to books and encouraging various age groups to read and acquire books.
The activities program included a variety of cultural and knowledge activities, including storytelling sessions for children and school visits, alongside a dialogue panel discussion entitled "Reading in the Digital Era: Are Libraries Still Making Readers?", and an intellectual seminar entitled "Who Makes Awareness Today: The Book or the Digital Platform?".
The program also included the "Authors' Corner," which provided readers with the opportunity to meet directly with a number of writers and authors and learn about their publications, as part of fostering communication between reader and writer and supporting the publishing and book movement.
Al-Darabeh stressed that the success of initiatives aimed at spreading the culture of reading requires an active partnership between various cultural and knowledge institutions, praising the role of the organizing and supporting bodies in providing a stimulating environment for reading, and affirming that spreading this culture is a shared responsibility that requires the integration of efforts by official, civil, cultural, and local community institutions.
The National Reading Day activities were participated in by the Greater Amman Municipality, the "Culture Pavement" initiative of Dar Al-Yazouri Scientific, along with a number of cultural, knowledge, and media institutions and entities, writers, authors, and employees of the National Library Department.
Al-Darabeh appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Culture, the Jordanian Library and Information Association, the Knowledge Production and Cultural Publishing Association, the Greater Amman Municipality, the "Culture Pavement" initiative of Dar Al-Yazouri Scientific, and all participating institutions and entities in preparing, organizing, and making the day's activities a success.
Al-Darabeh concluded by emphasizing that reading represents the foundation for building a knowledge society, saying: "The Jordan that reads is the Jordan that knows, the Jordan that knows is the Jordan that innovates, and the Jordan that innovates is the Jordan that makes its future." The National Reading Day activities continued throughout the day at the headquarters of the National Library Department, amidst participation and interaction from various groups, affirming the continued presence of the book as an essential tool for knowledge and building awareness, and the role played by libraries as beacons of culture and knowledge and open spaces for society.
