Lighting the Lamp of Books with ‘Tehran, City of Readers’

According to the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), the Cultural and Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality announced a series of programs for the 33rd National Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran, titled ‘Tehran, City of Readers’. These programs will be held from November 14 to 20 across the 22 districts of Tehran.

In the ‘Our Library Date’ program, audiences of the Cultural and Artistic Organization’s libraries will gather for a book-centric event such as a book launch, review, or discussion, honoring library members, authors, and local book activists. These programs will be held within library spaces. Additionally, Tehran’s cultural centers will host ‘Book Events’ during Book Week, which will include book launches, reviews, introductions, invitations to authors, tributes to cultural figures and local writers, reading competitions, book tours, and more.

‘Library Across Tehran’ is another program, running from Sunday, November 15 to Tuesday, November 17, offering library services like book introductions, free citizen membership, book-centric programs, book-related challenges, and hosting reading activists in streets and public places across the 22 districts. The goal of this program is to provide an opportunity for citizens to become familiar with libraries near their residences, and some of the physical facilities of libraries will be showcased during this program.

The ‘Hand-to-Hand’ book exchange event is another program, aiming to provide greater public access to books and circulate unused books in the community at minimal cost. In this event, citizens can exchange their read and unused books with others, and books will also be collected for dispatch to underprivileged and less-resourced areas of Tehran. The ‘Hand-to-Hand’ event will be held on Thursday, November 19, with the participation of District 6 Municipality in Keshavarz Boulevard.

The ‘Librarian’s Seven Stages Challenge’ is a program prepared for librarians, where a challenging question is posed to them daily. Also, the grand ‘Book Buddy’ celebration, held annually to honor the librarians of the Cultural and Artistic Organization, will take place after the Fatimiyya days.

Other programs planned for Book Week include the Book Garden’s ‘Tehran Reads’ series, provision and updating of library resources, free library membership, waiver of book late fees, ‘Bookworms Get-Together’ with teenagers, ‘Meet the Librarian’, and 28 special regional programs at the organization’s centers.