Today.Az » Society » Azerbaijani MP: Condition of libraries in remote areas is terrible
09 March 2010 [19:15] - Today.Az
Day.Az interview with member of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (Parliament) and publicist Elmira Ahkundova.
Earlier it was believed that the Soviet Union, including Azerbaijan, had the largest readers. Today, however, it is said that the number of readers has declined compared with the past. Do you share this viewpoint?
I can not say that we have no culture of reading. It does exist, but simply it has changed. Previously, we used to read a lot, but now we have no time for large multi-volume novels. I'm not sure that today's youth will be able get through Dickens or Thackeray, Hugo, or Thomas Mann, Galsworthy, or Marcel Proust. But we all used to read these avidly. However, I think those who say that people have stopped reading are not right.
People have stopped reading books in their classical form, but have not stopped reading them at all. People have changed. The approach to reading has also changed. Young people give preference to electronic books and online reading.
Do you like works by young authors?
Modern poetry and prose have also undergone changes. Even the most serious novel should contain an intriguing detective beginning. Books are available in a small, handheld format to make it convenient to take them with you on a trip. This is normal. There is no need to get worried about it. Russia is experiencing bookshop boom once again, bookstores are opened one after another and book publishing has become a very high art there. The books published for children are so beautiful.
Of course, today there are not so many book fanatics, as it was before, but this is understandable. Earlier we lived in a closed society. We had only books and nothing else - no video and no internet. So, we grew up on them. Today we have more opportunities, more attractions, including in the spiritual sphere. Hence, there is no urgent need to resort to the traditional source of reading like a book.
In your opinion, what steps should be taken to increase number of readers?
Measures are underway and are very productive. Azerbaijan holds book fairs, a book prize has been set up, bookstores are opened, libraries are revived in the Latin alphabet and an entire library of Azerbaijan and the world of classical literature has been published on the initiative President Ilham Aliyev.
However, books must have quality propaganda. It is necessary to translate new books more often, hold virtual meetings with writers, especially young ones including those writing under non-traditional trends as well as nonconformists.
We have a big problem with public relations managers and literary agents. The latter is in high demand worldwide. In Moscow, even a beginner writer has literary agent who deals with promotion of publications in the market. We do not have it and that is why so many writers can not sell their books.
Problems related to access to literature exist in remote towns and villages rather than in major cities…
The situation in this regard is actually worse in remote regions than in Baku and other major cities of the country. I think that those people involved with publication of books and their distribution should be concerned with this issue first and foremost. It is necessary to work in the regions, open bookstores and organize a network of mobile book fairs.
Tackling this issue also requires also opening book stalls under city's executive branch to provide access for all residents, especially the intelligentsia, to them. People used to get books on a subscription basis. But we have nothing like that at the moment.
There is even no need to talk about libraries…
Rural libraries are in terrible condition. Workers are huddled in a shabby room, all the books even including those publications printed in Latin alphabet on which large sums of money was spent are dumped in a heap.
In this connection, I plan to appeal to the leadership of the republic to adopt a program to build a network of small rural libraries.
By the way, we recently met with the Minister of Culture Abulfas Garayev on this matter and he told me about the pilot project - the construction of houses of culture in large villages. These houses will include a library, Internet cafe, rooms for various studies etc.
R. Ashrafli
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