A resident in a locked-down zone in HCM City receives free books from the “Sách trao tay - Học ngày giãn cách” (Books for Learning during Social Distancing Days) programme. Photo courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — People living in locked-down and quarantined zones, and patients staying at COVID-19 treatment hospitals in HCM City, have received free books as part of the programme “Sách trao tay - Học ngày giãn cách” (Books for Learning during Social Distancing Days).

The programme was launched by the city Department of Information and Communications, the southern representative agency of the Việt Nam Publishers’ Association (VNPA), the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union of HCM City, and the Book Street Company. 

Lê Hoàng, VNPA’s vice chairman, said: "We hope people can be entertained and learn from the knowledge in the books during social distancing days.” 

“Books are necessary for people’s cultural life.”

Hoàng said the programme had received huge support from local publishing houses and book distributors. 

The programme has given away tens of thousands of  copies of 2,500 book titles since mid-July. They include comics and colouring books for children, novels, and medical, skill and reference books for teenagers and adults.

The programme has also provided a library of more than 2,000 titles of audiobooks and e-books for free downloading via applications Voiz FM and Waka.

Nguyễn Kim Oanh of Bình Thạnh District said she was surprised and happy when receiving books from the programme. 

"I’m a book lover, so these books are precious to me. With them, I can help my children create reading habit during social distancing days."

Hoàng said: "Our programme has received a warm welcome from the community, so we are trying our best to bring more books to the city’s readers.”

“We hope this will entertain people at home and spread the reading culture, as well as create a reading habit among the community, particularly the younger generation,” Hoàng added. — VNS