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Sharjah Public Library offers free membership to mark UAE Reading Month

Dubai - New initiatives stem from mission to instill love of reading among all age groups, Director of Sharjah Public Library says.

The Sharjah Public Library (SPL) is offering free annual membership to mark the UAE Reading Month.

SPL, which is an affiliate of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), launched two initiatives - ‘Everyone’s Library’ and ‘Reader to Reader’, in line with the Reading Month’s 2021 theme ‘My Family Reads’, and aims to instill a love for reading among children.

Under ‘Everyone’s Library’, SPL is offering free annual basic membership for individuals registering in March, either online or in person. Paid membership will resume in April 2021. However, academic institutions, government entities and private companies are outside the purview of this initiative, SPL said in a statement.

‘Reader to Reader’ initiative involves exchange of books among SPL employees. Each employee will offer a book that he/she previously read to their colleague and discuss what they have read in special weekly sessions titled, ‘30 Minutes for Reading’. Details of each session will be posted on SPL’s social media outlets. This initiative is aimed at motivating SPL’s employees and subsequently inculcating the reading habit within their communities.

Eman Bushulaibi, Director of Sharjah Public Library said: “The new initiatives stem from SPL’s mission to instil a love of reading among all age groups, stimulate their intellectual curiosity and their quest for knowledge with a variety of resources across genres. Ultimately, we aim to help our communities to transform reading into a daily habit.

“These initiatives align with the National Reading Strategy, which aims to cultivate a culture of reading in the UAE, build a knowledge-society, and empower successive generations of leaders with the right skills and experiences to drive UAE’s sustainable development,” she added.

saman@khaleejtimes.com