Reading is a superpower: promoting literacy skills to make life more meaningful for our citizens

Abstract

Public Libraries Act entered into force In Finland in the beginning of 2017. The objective of the reform of the Public Libraries Act was to improve the operating environment of public libraries and to promote active citizenship, democracy, and lifelong learning.

Turku City Library is declared as a non-discrimination zone. We encourage people to use their full human capacity and support their intellectual growth. As we see fluent reading and writing skills being the fundamental requirement for such development, we make sure to offer our customers support in mastering these skills.

Recently we have developed innovative services for different target groups with inadequate literacy skills. Traditional reading tips and book clubs don’t reach adults who have little motivation to read. The library has launched, for example, literary art-based activities available for unemployed adults participating in employment services in the city of Turku. The main aim of the new services and activities is to activate people to participate, discuss, write, and share their thoughts in a safe environment by encouraging them. In current project “Reading support in Libraries” Turku City Library works with different organizations (dyslexia, autism, ADHD) to find target groups. We offer personal assistance as well as targeted actions for different groups.

Quality education Reading opens innumerable worlds to the one who masters it. Besides fiction, we want to give people the pleasure to learn by reading. We give free lectures or workshops on current issues: elections, artificial intelligence, fake news etc. And every time we invite people to listen on different topics, we place books of the same topic nearby. So, we give lectures and workshops as an impulse to deeper delving into the topic.

Reduced inequalities and democracy This year we are paying special attention to both adults and young adults with inadequate literacy skills. We raise political and social awareness with open lectures and events; we offer tools for media criticism to all age groups; we guarantee that our library is a safe haven for all our visitors. Our aim is to decrease loneliness, raise awareness and increase activity among those who are more likely to become marginalized. As well as reading promotion we must keep attention in democracy. At the moment Turku City Library has two projects that goals to increase democracy skills.