The National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Kwara state branch has sensitised corps members in the state on reviving the declining reading culture in the country.
The Assistant Chief Librarian of Kwara state, Mr Emmanuel Anebi told the corps members, who are of the Educational Development community development service (CDS) group, that the campaign was brought to them to be used as mouthpiece at their places of primary assignments.
”The idea behind this is to inculcate reading habits in everybody, though our target is the primary and secondary schools but this time we’ve decided to extend the tentacles to everyone.
“That is why we were in the teaching hospital in the maternity ward to see the nursing mothers and pregnant women to read to their born and unborn children.
”We were also at the motorpark to educate them on utilising their free time to read because most people don’t read even ordinary road signs.
“Now, we have called on corps members to help us educate students and people in their places of primary assignments, especially primary and secondary school which are our primary targets.
“They should be our mouth piece and eyes to tell people both young and old, the importance of reading,” Anebi said.
Anebi however urged the state government to collaborate with the NLN in its effort to revive the moribund reading culture.
He said that this required collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to revive the dying reading culture in the country.
The Chief Library Officer, Mrs Bolanle Akinmolayan said that the corps members should use their CD groups to help schools revive reading culture by reviving and equipping libraries in schools.
”We want to go back to the good old days where people read and learn a lot from reading.
”That is why we want you from your end to encourage people to double their efforts in reading,” Akinmolayan said.
Mrs Jemila Mohammed said that plans were underway to digitalise activities of the NLN to be updated.
”There are plans already on how to digitalise our services but this is not to say that physical books will be wiped off, it will just complement it,” Mohammed said.
Responding on behalf of the corps members, a corps member said they would try their best to impact their immediate environment in reviving the moribund reading culture.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the corps members’ sensitisation was the fourth and the final phase of the Annual Readership Promotion Campaign.
The first phase was a lecture for primary and secondary school students which also involved quiz competition, spelling bee and debate.
