October is National Reading Month:

Promoting the reading habit in modern society

By Lionel WIJESIRI

Adolf Hitler made everybody buy a copy of Mein Kampf so that the people could understand his vision and appreciate it. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German and wrote his own interpretation of how things should be, so that the people could read about it. Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto which inspired so many people, that it is almost unbelievable.

In Sri Lanka, however, we have missed out on the significance of the printing press, big time. Although, as a country we have a high literacy rate and a good educational system, the reading habit has not developed as it should. The reading habit in Sri Lanka is on the decline.

Reading, a habit that should be encouraged

And the worst is that most of Sri Lanka’s schoolchildren are rather lethargic to read books, either because they lack the skill or simply because they do not care enough to take time to concentrate. This will pose serious problems in the future. During the past five decades, various campaigns were launched to improve the situation, but there is still a need for a more perceptive understanding of the reasons for the lack of the reading habit in Sri Lanka.

The absence of a widespread culture of reading in the case of Sri Lanka acts as an effective barrier to our development and international competitiveness. The economic, social and political health of our nation today depends on building literate citizens that can read widely and apply it practically for development.

It is, therefore, a necessity to making the present generation more aware of the benefits and importance of reading and ensuring that they have the literacy skills required in modern society.

Constraints on reading culture

Libraries have a historic mission of fostering literacy and learning. The relegation of that vital institution in recent decades is indeed a matter of great sadness. Libraries, learning and reading can and do change lives and they have a role to play in determining the future of our society.

Libraries are vital to education and research has shown that the current lower levels of proficiency in reading are due to under-funding of libraries and their services.

There is no clear-cut policy on funding school libraries and they are generally ill-equipped and lack proper accommodation, qualified staff and information resources. Efforts by Sri Lankan governments to promote the standard of education and literacy have failed because there was no provision for school libraries in the implementation of programs. The facilities at libraries of many primary and post-primary schools are so poor that they impede rather than promote learning and knowledge acquisition. The same condition is applicable to public libraries. It is said that the practice of governments, releasing to the public library boards an amount that is far less than what was requested for in a given year, affects the quality and quantity of materials acquired and the level of services rendered by libraries.

The low level of reading habits and culture among Sri Lankans is caused by varied factors and includes:

* Change in Sri Lanka’s value system. The quest for material wealth has eroded the interest for the search of knowledge.

* Economic hardships in many homes. Most parents manage to pay their wards’ school fees, but cannot afford to buy book for them.

* Astronomical prices of books and other information material have put them out of the reach of the masses. Coupled with this is poor availability of indigenous books owing to local authors not being encouraged to write.

* The cost of publishing books is very high. Indigenous writers are not motivated as they cannot finance the high cost of book publishing.

* The advent of home videos, film houses and other electronic gadgets.

Strategies to improve reading culture

Libraries have a historic mission of fostering literacy and learning

The task of improving and developing the reading culture in Sri Lanka is for all, viz; the family, teachers, librarians, philanthropists, the media, religious bodies, non-governmental organisations and the government. The strategies include:

* Establishment of a State commission for libraries:

The commission will be responsible for the growth, development, coordination and services of its branches in the Local Government areas. Professional librarians should be made directors of local government library services. They should ensure that each of the primary and secondary school libraries would have a professional librarian or at least an education graduate with certificate or diploma on librarianship. The essence of this specific qualification is to have competent librarian(s) that can plan, develop and execute results-oriented information literacy education.

* Integration of information literacy education in the curriculum of secondary schools as an independent general studies course:

In primary schools reading and writing are taught. As a continuation, there should be the inclusion of information literacy education as a subject in the curriculum of secondary schools. Information literacy has to do with the ability to recognise when information is needed and how to locate, evaluate, effectively use and communicate information in its various formats. Its aim is to use the techniques and skills for using the wide range of information materials and tools to solve problems.

* Creation of library periods in the school timetable:

Library periods should be included in the timetable of primary and secondary schools. It should be in such a way that a class would have at least one-and-a-half-hours per week for library use. This is an instrument of reading culture development.

* The Government should establish state-of-the-art publishing firms:

When established, these publishing firms should encourage the effort of indigenous authors. The State publishing firm should encourage scholarship and creativity by charging less for publishing of materials. Specific copies of these published books should be distributed to public schools (in their libraries), bearing in mind the relevance of such materials with respect to the development of the students’ reading habit.

* Establishment of family libraries:

Parents have a role to play in the development of the reading habit of their children. Research reveals that 70 percent of the problem associated with the poor reading culture of children is traceable to many social and environmental factors, including parents. Parents and guardians should always monitor what their children and wards do. Children spend more time these days watching television and playing with electronic gadgets such as computers.

To many young people, watching movies has become an addiction, with the result that many children and adults consider reading an ordeal. Children can only benefit optimally from electronic technology when they are firmly established as readers. The view that school and children’s libraries should be deployed with ICT facilities as the only way of enabling children to be in touch with information is a tragically mistaken policy that is likely to decrease literacy rather than advance it.

Parents should establish private libraries at home to encourage the reading habit of their children. A room in the house can be set aside for this. It should be provided with shelves and reading desks. The purchase of books for the library should be done gradually as the information needs of the children grow.

* Philanthropists and other spirited individuals should come up with the establishment of non-governmental organisations for promoting the reading culture:

NGOs can provide mobile library services as well as increasing reading awareness in public schools. Individuals can donate books to schools and public libraries to encourage the reading habit. Media houses such as radio, television and newspaper publishing firms are also stakeholders in this course. Radio and television houses can contribute by airing programs and jingles promoting the reading habit whereas newspaper houses can publish features that will stimulate reading.

* Formulation and implementation of a viable national information policy:

A national information policy is a road map to sustainable and balanced flow of information in all sectors of the economy, proper development of our information infrastructures including libraries and publishing firms. It will also encourage standards in the establishment, maintenance and operation of information infrastructures. This will play a significant role in fighting illiteracy and will be geared towards fostering the reading habit among Sri Lankans.

To achieve a national consciousness of the value and benefits of reading, all stakeholders in the reading chain which include writers, publishers, booksellers, the media, teachers at all levels, librarians, civil society, the corporate sector, religious bodies, community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations and governments at all levels must support and participate actively in this area.