The annual Colombo International Book Fair organized by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, which began on September 21 ends today. The main purpose of this fair is to encourage Sri Lankans, particularly children and youth, to develop the reading habit.
As Sri Lankans, we are proud of our literacy rate, which is currently 92%, the highest in South Asia and one of the highest in Asia. However, there is room for further improvement to attain 100% rate and be on par with 26 other countries.
Until the 1980s, Sri Lankans were known to be avid readers. Due to many reasons, both social and political, it began to slide down, and a decade later, the mainstream became mostly students perusing books for examinations, and to gather knowledge, rather than for pleasure. The habit of reading in the country has deteriorated further with the introduction of digital devices, which the young find much easier to access.
Malaysian experience
Malaysia, for instance, also faced the same problem. To find a solution, the Government began to improve the access to reading material at tertiary institutes. They realized that as technology and trends keep changing, reading methods and mediums also need to be evolved, moving away from printed books to electronic, digital, web and social media platforms. Today, these are extensively used by students and the youth to read, write and communicate. Malaysia made online learning simpler with graphical content and multimedia which are interactive and animated with videos and sound effects.
The Internet became the crux of students’ experiences in learning. They went to the library not only to refer to the collection but also to access the Internet. They enjoyed reading online as well as socializing.
Research has found that undergraduates and high school students in Malaysia prefer to read online, using the smartphone, eBook reader and tablet, which are convenient and friendly. A conducive environment had been set up to encourage them to read more. Whenever their requirements were not available online, they made use of the libraries for reference.
With the influence of digital technology, and the Government offering them reading material at affordable costs, the young and the adults in Malaysia are becoming ardent readers.
Committed reader
Government support alone is not sufficient to develop the reading habit of a nation. As citizens, we have to develop ourselves to be good readers. According to a recent study carried out at the University of Houston, USA, being engrossed in a book for as little as six minutes reduces stress by 60 per cent.
What’s more, the very act of reading literature can have a positive impact on the way you relate to people. Deep reading, it turns out, could strengthen our sense of empathy. These are good reasons to develop our reading habits.
Generally, there are two types of readers. The first group is known as passionate readers. They read because they simply enjoy reading, and read whichever book catches their interest. They don’t necessarily look for books to improve themselves or to solve problems. For them, reading isn’t the means to an end, it is the end.
The second group is called seeking readers. They read to solve problems. They read to enhance their own mental libraries, to improve themselves. For them, reading is the means to an end.
A person who wants to become a good reader must first find out what type he or she prefers, to improve oneself, or to simply enjoy the moment?
Reading daily
It is advisable to start small. You do not have to read a book a day. Just 10 pages a day would be fine. If you happen to read more, you are improving. You do not need to worry about how well you understand the topic or the contents.
You can look for book summaries online and see which books suit your preference. From there, you can compile your reading list for the next six months.
As the Malaysian experience shows, books need not be physical - they can be digital. The Amazon Kindle, for example, is a good investment. You can buy one for Rs. 15,000 from Amazon, or buy any eBook Reader.
You could also use your Tab, Notebook or even your phone, and instal apps such as, Dropbox, Kindle or PDF Acrobat Reader on your phone. All these apps are free of charge.
From Amazon you can download the latest books from Rs 175 to 350 (and above) and they have over half a million eBooks.
Once downloaded, you can read your books while travelling or resting. You need not waste time scrolling Facebook or YouTube once you have an eBook Reader.
eBook vs Printed book
Traditional old-time readers have much appreciation for the printed word, especially, hard-bound books. But, there are some distinct benefits in eBooks. It would be good to share some of the advantages that eBooks have over the printed books.
They are quicker to obtain, can be purchased and downloaded within minutes and begin reading immediately. eBooks are more easily updated and upgraded.
The eBook you purchase will be the most up-to-the-minute information available. Instead of a bulky library, you can fit literally thousands of books on your eBook reader or computer.
It also makes it easier to share this information with family members. You can transfer these books to their eBook readers or PCs, so that all family members can read a book at the same time.
Above all, eBooks do not use up trees. They use very few natural resources. We save trees and help reduce pollution from pulp mills.They’re also more portable.