Abu Dhabi: The ‘Library on Wheels’ initiative of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) will begin a year-long tour to promote reading culture, it was announced on Sunday.
The move follows a series of pop-ups at schools and key locations in Abu Dhabi city during March as part of the ‘Abu Dhabi Reads’ programme, Adek said.
Part of the fifth ‘UAE Reads’ campaign, Abu Dhabi Reads directly engaged more than 30,000 readers, with over 27,000 attending weekend literature-themed events at Umm Al Emarat Park. Also, more than 3,000 readers swapped old books for new ones at the month-long schedule of ‘Library on Wheels’ pop-ups.
“In perfect alignment with ADEK’s strategy of promoting a daily reading culture and contributing to the UAE National Reading Agenda, the excellent response to this year’s Abu Dhabi Reads initiative has unearthed a healthy and highly encouraging appetite for more community-wide opportunities to engage with literature,” said Amer Al Hammadi, Adek Undersecretary.
“Having identified strong demand for the mobile library services among families and students, we have decided to continue the Library on Wheels tours throughout the year with the initiative now set to visit more schools and key locations across the emirate.”
Storytelling sessions
Throughout March, Library on Wheels toured 13 Abu Dhabi schools and 14 key destinations where adults and children turned out to join in storytelling sessions and relax with their favourite books in open-air, pop-up lounges.
Additionally, some 27,125 people attended more than 390 weekend activations in Umm Al Emarat Park where they joined workshops on creative writing, illustration and bookmark design, language skills, public speaking, puppet shows, and storytelling sessions presented by UAE-based authors.
“The enthusiasm shown for these activities has strengthened our commitment to promoting reading culture and literature to the community beyond school gates,” said Al Hammadi. “We are determined to work with relevant stakeholders to launch more innovative reading-themed activities which build a culture of reading for enjoyment, relaxation and wellbeing, as well as educational purposes to enhance the literacy skills and reading habits among students.”
The extended Library on Wheels tour details will be shared on Adek’s website.
