A Gomishani Librarian’s Account of Traveling to Unfamiliar Villages / The Need to Provide Suitable Resources to Strengthen Local Identity

Service of the Provinces of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) – Seyed Hassan Hosseininjad: In various parts of Golestan province, there are villages whose names might be unfamiliar to many, even residents of nearby towns and districts. However, in these distant villages, a car with the “Mobile Library” sign occasionally arrives, changing the atmosphere of the village.

A vehicle around which children gather with love and enthusiasm, leafing through books, listening to stories, and experiencing joyful moments full of learning.

Abdulmatin Onaq, the instructor of Gomishan’s mobile library, is someone who pursues this path with love and perseverance. He believes that books should go to children, not wait for children to come to them.

For this reason, he constantly travels to villages whose names perhaps few have heard, but he knows them well; because in the eyes of their children, he has seen hope and eagerness for knowledge.

Furthermore, for Onaq, the mobile library is not just a vehicle, but a bridge between children and the world of knowledge. In every village, he brings children closer to the world of books and learning through cultural programs, storytelling, games, and education. For him, every childish smile is a reward for all the paths he has traveled.

In this interview, we ask Abdulmatin Onaq, born on March 2, 1998, in Gomishan, a graduate of Business Management and interested in children’s literature, to share his experiences; from remote villages, from his memories with children, and from the sweetness of working in a place where knowledge, in the simplest possible form but with the deepest impact, touches hearts.

He told an IBNA reporter: “I was recruited by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults of Gomishan in March 2025, and Gomishan’s mobile library covers 18 villages. In the time since I joined the Institute, I have been providing cultural and artistic services to these 18 villages.”

He added: “Villages whose routes, let alone names, are unfamiliar to many. Chargholi, Dahaneh, Gamishly, Khaje Nafas, Ghermeseh, Gharah Keyleh, Kamlar, Ghaffar Haji, Basirabad, Safa-Eishan, Ghal’e Jigh Kouchak, Ghal’e Jigh Bozorg, Ghalmas, Kaleh Past, and Altin Tokhmagh are among them, which are mostly border and deprived areas.”

He also said: “The Gomishan mobile library of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults currently has four thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine books, and nearly 800 people are members of the mobile library. My companion and travel partner also sometimes include items such as various educational and entertainment toys, and a video projector.”

The Gomishan mobile library instructor continued: “Of course, it should be mentioned that providing up-to-date and diverse resources and increasing cultural and financial support are among the needs and expectations of the mobile library, and in my opinion, adding new books and using local and regional cultural resources is suitable for strengthening local identity.”

He further elaborated on his daily activities, saying: “Every day at 8 AM, with the aim of promoting and enhancing cultural and artistic development for children and young adults, I visit underprivileged villages and provide services to the dear children and young adults of my region through various and creative cultural and artistic activities, according to available resources, including literary workshops, local games, and cultural workshops.”

Onaq continued: “My most important goal on this path is to teach knowledge in a cheerful environment and with the cooperation of parents. Each time I try to go to the village with a sense of responsibility and plant the seeds of knowledge and kindness in the hearts of children to the best of my ability.”

The Gomishan mobile library instructor also said: “I enjoy watching children waiting for the mobile library to arrive and their enthusiasm for reading as they line up next to the vehicle, and their laughter makes every minute of it a sweet memory for me. But on the other hand, it always pains me to see children and teenagers from families who are working outside for their livelihood and do not have the time to discover their talents; this is one of the bitter aspects of my work.”

Onaq said: “I hope that someday the path and conditions for discovering and developing talents in underprivileged areas will be provided, and that the library can distance the children of this land from virtual spaces and aimless games and encourage them to read and think.”