Over the past three years, the library has organised extracurricular reading sessions tailored to different age groups, combining reading with games and discussions to engage students.
Participation has steadily increased, with 22 sessions attracting more than 1,000 students in 2024, rising to 32 sessions with over 1,600 students in 2025. In the first four months of 2026 alone, 15 sessions have already drawn more than 1,400 participants.
Library Director Nguyễn Thị Thủy said fostering reading habits requires consistent, early exposure. “Reading should be as natural as eating or drinking every day”, she said, adding that habits must be developed gradually through accessible and engaging experiences.
Initially, library staff had to approach schools individually to introduce the programme. As interest grew, schools began proactively registering students. According to staff member Trần Thị Hường, the sessions incorporate diverse educational content presented in “fresh and youthful ways”, generating strong enthusiasm among participants.
To broaden its reach, Pleiku Library has also leveraged social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Zalo. Students are encouraged to create videos introducing books and hosting reading sessions, effectively becoming ambassadors for reading. In the first quarter of 2026, around 90 such videos were produced and shared online.
Geographical barriers remain a major challenge in western Gia Lai, particularly for students in remote and border areas. In response, the library operates a mobile service, delivering books directly to communities two to three times a month.
In the first quarter of 2026, nearly 90,000 books were circulated to 15 locations, serving more than 20,000 readers. The library also distributed 1,800 newspapers and books to 12 local bookcases and organised reading festivals at 25 locations in April.
Priority has been given to seven border communes and areas with ethnic minority populations. At a recent event marking Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day at Đức Cơ Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary School, 150 students explored the mobile library’s collection.
Students responded positively to the initiative. Seventh-grader Rơ Mah Gin said a science book on marine life was unlike anything previously available at the school library, describing it as “fascinating”.
School principal Hồ Minh Thể said activities such as multilingual book introductions, cultural performances and quizzes had helped spark interest in reading, while strengthening students’ skills and overall learning outcomes.
The library’s outreach has contributed to a sharp rise in readership. In 2024, it served more than one million readers, a figure that doubled to over two million in 2025, with more than 3.5 million books circulated.
Despite these gains, library officials stress that long-term success depends on sustained effort. Thủy said building a reading culture requires continuous participation from the wider community, noting that even small, consistent actions can gradually form lasting habits.
Beyond the numbers, the most notable shift has been in students’ attitudes, with many beginning to see books as companions rather than obligations, a sign, the library says, that its long-term approach is taking root.
Currently, Pleiku Library holds 732,653 books. Of these, the central library has 290,059 volumes; the mobile library collections at commune and ward libraries contain over 442,500 books. In the first quarter of 2026, the library served nearly 359,000 readers.
