Establishment of a Book Reading Documents Exhibition at Yazd University / Unveiling of 3 Books by an Author

According to the correspondent of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Yazd, Iran’s Book Week, which began on November 15th and continues until November 21st, saw cultural programs focused on books and reading held in Yazd Province on its fourth day.

Provincial Public Libraries Association Meeting Held

The meeting of the Provincial Public Libraries Association was held at the Central Library of Yazd Province, attended by Mohammad Reza Babaei, Governor of Yazd.

Mohammad Mohsen Rafiei, Director General of the Public Libraries Institution of Yazd Province, at the beginning of the meeting, referred to the support of municipalities for public libraries, stating: “The payment of a half-percent share by municipalities is one such support that has been well realized, and this issue demonstrates a cultural perspective and attention to Yazd’s position as ‘Dar-ol-Ebadah’ (House of Worship).”

The Director General of Public Libraries in the province announced: “113 libraries with over 2.6 million volumes of books are active in the province, providing nearly two books per capita for every resident of Yazd.”

Rafiei added: “There are 72,000 square meters of library infrastructure in the province, and 103,000 people in Yazd are members of public libraries, which accounts for about 8% of the province’s population.”

He also pointed to upcoming challenges, listing the construction of the Martyr Sadoughi Library in Marvast, a lack of parking for Central Library visitors, funding for the redesign of Meybod Library, and securing a building for the General Directorate of Libraries as some of these issues.

The Governor of Yazd, also at this meeting, recounted childhood memories, saying: “As a child, we would travel about eight kilometers to reach the children’s library, and I was an active member of the library throughout elementary school. Books like ‘Good Stories for Good Children’ were very influential in our lives.”

Mohammad Reza Babaei emphasized: “Today, virtual space cannot replace books and reading; this is a tangible matter, as its negative aspects outweigh its positive ones.”

Unveiling Ceremony for Books by Young Yazdi Author

The unveiling ceremony for the books by young Yazdi author Razieh Zare Zardini was held at the Yazd Cultural, Social, and Sports Organization, attended by the Deputy Governor for Political, Security, and Social Affairs and a group of provincial cultural and social officials.

Esmaeil Dehestani, Deputy Governor for Political, Security, and Social Affairs, expressing respect for the author, who is a teenager from the 2000s generation, said: “My purpose in attending this book’s unveiling ceremony was to state that we must respect and learn to honor those who are active in the fields of literature and thought.”

He added, noting that Yazd is proud to have shown good growth in reading per capita compared to other cities and ranks first: “It is necessary to speak of Yazd as a city with authenticity in culture, art, literature, thought, and wisdom; in a word, it is a city that possesses all the good qualities that others have.”

Saeed Zare, Director General of the Documents and National Library of Yazd Province, stated that Ms. Razieh Zare Zardini’s books possess originality of pen, independence of thought, and honesty, adding: “These works demonstrate the developmental stages of an inquisitive mind and a bold pen.”

He continued: “The value of her work lies in her rewriting and reflecting her personal experiences, and the literary community should evaluate authors’ works based on depth of thought, clarity, and impact.”

Fardin Ahmadi, author, researcher, and managing director of Houzeh Mashgh Publications, also at this ceremony, referring to the Supreme Leader’s view that Iranian youth should produce ideas and not merely be consumers, said: “Today, virtual space and social networks have led to a lack of sufficient mental nourishment for the new generation, and we must generate ideas.”

He added: “Houzeh Mashgh Publications is one of the most prolific publishers in the country in the field of storytelling and works for young adults.”

The ceremony was attended by cultural officials, authors, and social activists of Yazd Province, and the collection of books by the young author, titled “The Maid Sits Behind the Window,” “A New Breath,” “Words in Our Throats,” “I’ll Get Better Even If I Don’t Believe It,” “Life Without Regret,” and “Autumn Yellow,” were officially unveiled.

Book and Reading Documents Exhibition Held at Yazd University

The Book and Reading Week Documents Exhibition was organized by the Yazd Province Documents and National Library Organization at the Central Conference Hall of Yazd University.

This exhibition is open to the public of the province until November 27th.

Meeting Between Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Yazd Province and Veteran Yazdi Author

On the fourth day of the 33rd edition of Iran’s Book and Reading Week, Abbas Daneshi, Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Yazd Province, met with Habib Rezaei, a prolific and well-known Yazdi author, to honor literary figures and engaged in a conversation with him.

This cordial meeting, held at the author’s home, was an opportunity to commemorate years of tireless efforts in the field of literature, particularly in research related to Yazdology.