Dr. Meghna Dhar
It is rightly said that a “Good Book is one which is opened with expectations and closed with profit.” 23rd April the World Book Day and Copyright Day, also known as International Day of the Book is celebrated every year in order to promote the reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright among the public Worldwide. World Book Day celebrations were started by the UNESCO first time on 23rd April 1995. It is on this date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died on this date. World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the magical power of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures
Books are considered to be an immense source of knowledge to the students, scholars and public to enrich their knowledge. A library, considered as the heart of an institution, database of knowledge and temple of learning, is an integral part of high quality education which imparts vital services to all its readers. It is a dynamic agency to assist its users in carrying out their pursuits in the advancement of knowledge by arranging the essential library material and other library facilities. Libraries are not merely storehouse of reading material collected for preservation but it functions as a dynamic instrument of education. For this purpose reading skills are important for the students’ success rate from the school days and this improves their communication and language skills. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative time for all age groups, thereby opening doors to all kinds of world’s news for them. According to Maya Angelou “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”
According to Encyclopedia Americana “Reading involves looking at graphic symbols and formulating mentally the sounds and ideas they present”. Reading simply means skill of language, sharing of information, communicating and understanding it the right way. Reading good quality books is important for the leisure time of life. It has a major contribution in personal and professional development and helps to make life richer and more meaningful. The textbooks materials and reference materials are often used by the readers for study and research purpose also adds up to reading skills.. It is found that presently the people are reading e-documents and the latest form of e-books, online databases, e-journals and e-mails. This digital reading is changing study habits from print to online reading, student’s attitude, online reading habits, behavior to electronic books, and the move to mobile reading and it has many benefits and drawbacks. This is because readers are aware of e-books and they generally access them through Google books. The students are inspired to use e-books because these books save lot of time and one can read them at the comfort of their homes and moreover these books are easy to search.
With the result book reading habits are deteriorating among the students of the current generation. A reasonable consideration needs to be given to the effects of weak reading culture. Good book reading habit is essential for a strong intellectual growth and it plays a very important role to enable a person to attain practical efficiency. The reading is a resource for continued education for the acquisition of fresh knowledge and skills for getting information through media specifically books, newspapers computers, radio, and television.
It is suggestive that adequate reading area and reading facilities can accelerate book reading habits. Users should be encouraged to improve their knowledge by reading books, newspapers, magazines and journals. Latest books, periodicals/magazines should be added in the libraries. Book exhibitions can also promote and develop reading habits among public. It is recommended that the libraries should increase more numbers of latest books, periodicals/ magazines to the requirement of the users. Since most of the users are not aware of the library collection and services, It is therefore suggested that proper user education/library orientation programmes should be provided for the users to develop book reading culture. Library professionals can play a significant role in developing reading habits among its users.
It is further recommended that teachers and parents are primary source of inculcating good quality book reading habits among children and make them devoted, willing and responsive readers. They should encourage the students to improve their knowledge by reading books, newspapers, magazines and journals. For this they must provide necessary guidance as to what to read and how to read. Reading habits, like other habits has a direct link with the kind of exposure and experience the children get in the early years. If the child is brought up in a environment of books, he/she is likely to develop love for reading books. Librarians should strengthen in their effort to create extra awareness among the students. Reader’s survey should be conducted quite often to improve the library services as well as to know their taste and interest in literature. On the whole, it is the teamwork of parents, librarians, teachers, authors, publishers that can help to promote and develop reading habits among students and public. The joy of reading is inseparable. Imagine a world with no stories or books. It would be a joyless world indeed! Saint Augustine has rightly said “The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
(The author is Assistant Professor, University of Jammu, Jammu)
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