The Sharjah Public Library (SPL), an affiliate of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), has announced the launch of two initiatives in celebration of the UAE’s Reading Month observed annually throughout the month March.

The two initiatives -‘Everyone’sLibrary’and ‘Reader to Reader’, align with the Reading Month’s 2021 theme ‘My Family Reads’, and aim to instil and support positive reading habits among children.

Under the initiative, ‘Everyone’s Library’, SPL will offer free basic membership for one year for those registering in March, either online or in person. Paid membership will resume in April 2022. The initiative targets all community members including children, youth, adults, and families. Academic institutions, government entities and private companies are outside the purview of this initiative.

‘Reader to Reader’ is an initiative involving exchange of books amongst SPL employees. Each employee will offer a book that he/she previously read to their colleague. Employees who exchange books will be given the opportunity to discuss what they have read in special weekly sessions titled,‘30 Minutes for Reading’. Details of each session will be posted on SPL’s social media outlets. This initiative is aimed at motivating SPL’s employees and subsequently the public to take forward the idea of reading, exchanging and discussing books within their communities.

Announcing the launch of the two initiatives, EmanBushulaibi, Director of Sharjah Public Library, noted that the entity is committed to designing engaging and sustainable projects like these to motivate the community to continue reading.

The SPL Director said: “The new initiatives stem from SPL’s mission to instil a love of reading among all age groups, stimulate their intellectual curiosity and their quest for knowledge with a variety of resources across genres. Ultimately, we aim to help our communities to transform reading into a daily habit.

“These initiatives align with the National Reading Strategy, which aims to cultivate a culture of reading in the UAE, build a knowledge-society, and empower successive generations of leaders with the right skills and experiences to driveUAE’s sustainable development,” she added.