Thursday.. The launch of the 25th session of the Amman International Book Fair with the participation of the Municipality
Amman3 min read
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The Amman International Book Fair will launch its twenty-fifth session next Thursday, renewing its presence as one of the most prominent annual cultural events in Jordan. As the fair continues year after year, the role of national institutions in supporting and enhancing its presence becomes evident, along with their responsibility in promoting a reading culture and making books accessible to various segments of society.
Thamer Al-Shobaki, Deputy Director of the City for Community Development Affairs at the Greater Amman Municipality, stated that the Municipality is participating in the Amman International Book Fair as a strategic partner, providing logistical support and participating in the fair's technical, cultural, and media committees.
Al-Shobaki added that the Municipality's participation in the fair, which celebrates its silver jubilee and marks 25 years since its inception, includes providing logistical support related to the site, media, and flags of participating countries, in collaboration with the Jordanian Publishers Association and the Ministry of Culture.
He explained that the Municipality has prepared a special pavilion, under the Libraries Department, displaying 1,800 free books for visitors, distributed across 80 titles, in addition to 10 other titles for reference only, which are references for the Libraries Department.
The twenty-fifth session of the Amman International Book Fair, the silver jubilee session, will commence next Thursday and continue until October 3rd at the Jordan International Exhibitions Center – Mecca Mall, with the Syrian Arab Republic as the guest of honor for the session.
Regarding the Municipality's role in promoting social responsibility and encouraging reading, Al-Shobaki pointed out that the Libraries Department, affiliated with the Municipality, includes a main library with historical and informational significance in downtown Amman, in addition to 25 branches distributed across the capital's neighborhoods, providing diverse titles suitable for different age groups.
He explained that the Libraries Department implements numerous programs to support paper reading and encourage a return to books, and to reduce the negative effects of electronic culture on children, including the 'Read to Rise' competition, which targets children aged 8 to 14.
Al-Shobaki noted that the competition, which is organizing its sixth edition this year, targets approximately 4,000 to 5,000 children and includes readings on five topics determined by the competition, followed by a process of summarizing the content of the books in a notebook, which is reviewed by the Libraries Department committees, then an interview with the participating children, and the presentation of prizes to the winners.
He pointed out that the Municipality also organizes book fairs and cultural activities in various areas of the capital, explaining that Amman's neighborhoods include cultural centers or libraries that allow these events to be held near citizens.
He added that the 'Our Book is Our Civilization' initiative targeted all governorates of the Kingdom, distributing 4,000 free books in each governorate, noting that the number of books distributed by the initiative reached approximately 72,000 in various governorates of the Kingdom and the capital, Amman.
He confirmed the continuation of cooperation between the Libraries Department and Jordanian universities, through the organization of free book fairs in them, which contributes to promoting reading and making books accessible to students.
