Reading should be transformed from a cultural value into social behavior

According to the reporter of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Shahrekord, Jafar Mardani, on Wednesday evening at the ceremony commemorating Book, Book Reading, and Librarian Day, emphasized the necessity of forming a reading movement in the province and said: ‘Promoting a culture of reading requires collective effort, and we must strive for reading to become a public culture in the province. Books are the guiding light of development, and no nation has achieved growth without relying on written culture. If reading transforms from a cultural value into a social behavior, a more fruitful and robust future will be created for the province.’

He added, referring to the Supreme Leader’s view on the concept of heroism: ‘Today’s hero is not only formed on the battlefield; rather, their weapon is thought, pen, and cultural influence. This new perspective opens a fresh window to the concept of heroism and shows that books and culture, like sacrifice and resistance, can elevate society.’

The Governor of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari further noted the role of families, schools, universities, media, and cultural institutions in promoting reading and said: ‘If books enter people’s daily lives, the path to cultural growth will be paved.’

Mardani also thanked the philanthropists of the province for their participation in developing cultural infrastructure and called for their continued presence in the field of library construction.

He praised the efforts of the provincial librarians and considered their role in promoting a reading culture ‘valuable and unparalleled.’

Book; A Cultural Obligation in the Digital Age

The Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari also stated at this ceremony that books are the guiding light for humans and a tool for thinking, adding: ‘In the digital age, reading is a universal necessity, and as the Supreme Leader has emphasized, reading is considered an obligation.’

Shahram Faraji added: ‘The country’s progress has a direct relationship with an increase in per capita reading. Our province, despite its cultural capacities and hardworking people, still requires a serious leap in reading statistics.’

Faraji referred to the publication of over 150 book titles in recent years, the holding of book exhibitions, reading campaigns, and the donation of books to mosques, and suggested: ‘Families should provide one book per week for their children.’

Gap with National Library Standards

The Head of the General Department of Public Libraries of the province also stated at this ceremony, referring to the status of library infrastructure: ‘We are still far from the ideal point; such that 18 villages with populations over 2500 and 10 cities in the province lack public libraries.’

Parvaneh Arzanesh added: ‘The physical library space per 100 people in the province is about 2.5 square meters, while the national average is eight square meters. Also, the book per capita in the province is 1.4 copies per person, and only four percent of the population are members of public libraries, whereas this figure should reach 35 percent.’

Arzanesh emphasized the necessity of philanthropists’ attention to the field of public libraries and said: ‘Many villages have the potential to benefit from mobile libraries, but the necessary facilities are not provided. If a society wants to achieve development through a healthy and informed path, there is no way but to strengthen reading.’

Honoring Cultural Activists and Philanthropists

At this ceremony, the governors of Shahrekord, Borujen, Saman, and Farsan counties were introduced and honored as the top heads of public library associations. Also, the mayors of Shahrekord, Sefiddasht, and Farrokhshahr were appreciated as top association members for their support of library development.

The Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari was introduced as an active body in the field of participation, and the General Department of Roads and Urban Development was honored for its effective measures in increasing the physical per capita library space.

Also, Ebrahim Sedighi, a library-building philanthropist, and Ebrahim Mousavi, a judge who issued alternative sentences based on reading, were honored.

The present officials honored the mother of martyr Dr. Seyed Davood Shirvani, a martyr of the 12-day war, with a plaque of appreciation, and other top activists in the field of books and reading in the province were also honored as follows:

• Mohaddeseh Karimi, member of Shahid Mofatteh Library, as a prominent member in the toddler age group
• Halimeh Khammar, member of Farhang Library, Dastgerd Village, as a prominent member in the child age group
• Hoda Hatampour, member of Allameh Dehkhoda Library, Naghan, as a prominent member in the teenager age group
• Kimiya Asadollahi, member of Shahid Montazeri Library, Borujen, as a prominent member in the youth age group
• Parvaneh Salimi, member of Dehkhoda Library, Kian City, as a prominent member in the adult age group
• Kobra Javadpour, member of Fajr Library for the Blind, Borujen, as a prominent member in the elderly age group
• Hamid Boogari’s family, members of Shahid Motahari Library, Lordegan, as top readers
• Setareh Raeisi Sartashnizi, Head of Isar Library, Sartashniz, as top head
• Zohreh Karimi, Head of Allameh Tabatabaei Library, Vardanjan, as top head
• Farkhondeh Salehi Kharaji, Head of Hafez Library, Shahrekord, as top head
• Somayeh Hosseini Ardali, Librarian at Molavi Library, Shahrekord, as top librarian
• Farzaneh Jafari, Librarian at Molasadra Library, Farrokhshahr, as top librarian
• Zahra Kheiri, Head of Pejman Bakhtiari Library, Dashtak, as top head

The ceremony commemorating Book, Book Reading, and Librarian Day was held on Wednesday, November 19th, with the presence of Jafar Mardani, Governor of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, cultural officials, librarians, philanthropists, and esteemed families of martyrs at Shahrekord Grand Cultural Center; a ceremony that this year gained special significance by coinciding with the 21st commemoration of Jihad and Resistance Literature and the ‘National Hero Event’.