Recently, I came across an article published in the newspaper Zhas Alash. Its topic was “A Society That Doesn’t Read Books: The Truth Hidden Behind False Statistics.” Publisher Shyngys Mukan, writer and publisher Arman Almenbet, and librarian Aidos Bektursyn took part in the discussion.
The issue raised is indeed relevant. Encouraging society — especially young people — to read books instead of being entirely absorbed by social media is our shared task and shared responsibility. Therefore, any idea or initiative in this direction is worthy of support.
Developing a culture of reading, becoming a book-loving and knowledge-driven nation, is a key requirement of our time. As the Head of State noted, “The shortest path to becoming a nation of progressive thinkers is reading books.” This is an axiom that requires no proof. But…
But the state cannot force anyone to read. Its responsibility is to create the necessary conditions: publishing books that meet readers' needs, translating the best foreign works, providing favorable reading environments, promoting education, and offering incentives for reading. And this work continues.
It should be noted that the systematic efforts made recently were aimed precisely at this. For example, at the President’s initiative, April 23 was declared National Book Day. A list of 100 books every Kazakhstani should read has been defined. The “Children’s Library” project has been launched. The Amanat Party is implementing the “Kitap-Amanat” project. Several libraries in Almaty have switched to a 24/7 schedule. A modern round-the-clock library will soon be built at the President’s initiative.
Today, public libraries hold more than 72 million documents. This year alone, their collections were expanded with 1,029,568 new printed editions. The number of digital materials is also growing: over 2.2 million electronic items are now available. In addition, various online reading platforms are operating.
In short, anyone who wants to read has plenty of opportunities — the necessary conditions exist. Now we must work on establishing a widespread culture of reading. Increasing public access to books, encouraging interest, and forming a community of exemplary readers is essential. This is a common task for all of us.
Yerlán Karin
