Promoting a reading culture among young people.

(Baonghean) - Organized by a group of students from Hue University of Science, the "Book Fair of the Subsidy Period" was held in Vinh City from November 25-27 with over 1,000 unique books, attracting a large number of reading enthusiasts in Vinh City.

Young people intently read books at the "Books of the Subsidy Era" fair on the morning of November 25th.

Early in the morning of November 25th, despite the opening hours being announced on the Fanpage, the book fair was already bustling with students before 7 am. Arriving in Vinh City in cold, drizzly weather, the conditions couldn't dampen the excitement of many young readers, hoping to find rare, valuable, and unique books.

Van Anh, a student at Vinh University, shared: “When I heard about the book fair in Vinh City, I was so happy. Holding books with the fresh scent of paper in my hands is much more enjoyable than reading ebooks, especially since the fair only features used books at affordable prices, perfect for students' budgets.”

As midday approached, the book fair, reminiscent of the subsidy era, became increasingly bustling. However, the lively atmosphere created by groups of enthusiastic young readers searching for books did not seem to detract from the tranquility befitting a model reading culture space.

What's special about this book fair, as its name suggests, is that the majority of publications were compiled and published during the subsidy period, covering a diverse range of genres such as medical books, foreign languages, popular science, literature, and magazines. Many of these old books have faded colors, and not a few have worn covers, but for avid readers, these books still hold enduring value, not only in their content but also in the marks of time etched upon them.

Many books about the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh, and other cultural and historical figures, such as "The World Praises President Ho Chi Minh" (published in 1975) and "Before Uncle Ho's Stilt House - Reflections on the Vietnamese Way of Life" by Trong Duc, have attracted considerable attention from readers. In addition, popular books in modern Vietnamese literature, such as the series by author Nguyen Nhat Anh: "I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass," "Seven Steps to Summer," "Kaleidoscope," etc.; and books by author Nguyen Ngoc Tu, are also among the bestsellers. All books are discounted by 50%, so for just a few hundred thousand dong, readers can add more than a dozen of their favorite books to their bookshelves.

Most students are interested in the subsidized book fair.

With its orderly and professional organization, as well as its abundant book selection, few would have guessed that the book fair during the subsidy period was conceived and boldly promoted by a group of students from Hue University of Science. Even more surprising, the Vinh City Used Book Fair, which had previously created a sensation among readers in mid-September, was also organized by this same amateur team with an insatiable passion for books.

Sharing the reasons behind the book fair's establishment, Mr. Ha Nguyen Truong Yen – the representative in charge of the book fair during the subsidy period – said: “Originating from the idea of ​​wanting to introduce young people to more books and bring reading culture to the youth in an increasingly 'Internetized' society, seven students from Hue University of Science established the Hue Used Book Fair. It operates mainly on a voluntary basis; members use their own money to buy books at the lowest possible prices and try to balance the cost to sell them at affordable prices to serve readers.”

Driven by a love for books, the association's members lack organizational experience, operate on a small scale, and face financial challenges. Fortunately, they have received much support from readers near and far across the country. Currently, the association has a 400m2 book warehouse in Hue with over 30 tons of books of various genres, primarily sourced from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Nha Trang.

Furthermore, leveraging the reach of social media, the Hue Used Book Association is very active on Facebook and continuously organizes many used book events in various provinces and cities. Simultaneously with the "Books from the Subsidy Period" in Vinh City, the Hue Used Book Association also operates in Hue City, Gia Lai, and other locations.

Representatives of the Hue Used Book Association stated that, stemming from a passion for books and an effort to promote a reading culture among young people, the association's activities are not primarily focused on profit. In the near future, the Hue Used Book Association plans to coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications and the Nghe An Publishing House to organize a used book fair at Ho Chi Minh Square.

Despite the many difficulties in the context of reading culture facing numerous challenges from online trends, we believe that efforts stemming from sincerity will be rewarded, and the joy will be multiplied, like the radiant smiles of young readers when they find a precious book in the atmosphere of the book fair reminiscent of the subsidy era.

Tian Tian