The library for society
Initiative: “He Who Reads Young, Grows Strong”
Message of the Initiative
The Library for Society initiative is a voluntary program consisting of a series of activities and events conducted both inside and outside the library. It targets school students, childcare institutions, and summer centers with the aim of instilling a passion for reading, enhancing students’ capacity for self-education, and transforming them from mere consumers of information into producers and contributors.
The initiative further seeks to encourage visits to libraries, promote respect for the intellectual output of authors, publishers, and inventors, and foster positive social habits such as cooperation, respect for regulations, and adherence to established rules. It also aims to equip students with essential library skills, thereby contributing to the development of a conscious, well-educated generation.
The initiative is organized by the librarians of the College of Economics and Political Science, under the sponsorship of private sector companies. Its official slogan is: “He Who Reads Young, Grows Strong”. During the workshops, breakfast is provided to all participants.
Participants in Implementation
- Librarians of the College
- Computer technicians
- Educational technology specialists
Venue
The workshops and events are primarily held in the Library of the College of Economics and Political Science at Sultan Qaboos University. Certain activities are also conducted off-site in institutions such as special needs centers, elderly care homes, and childcare centers.
I. Library for Society Workshop
Target group: students from Grades 5 to 7.
The workshop comprises five structured activities:
08:30 – 10:00 | Instructional Session + Library Activity
An introductory session addressing the importance of authorship, types of libraries, the value of reading, how to locate titles, identify authors, and select appropriate books for research. Students are then tasked with locating books on the shelves, identifying bibliographic details (title, author, ISBN), and exploring how to seek assistance from librarians—simulating daily library use.
10:00 – 10:30 | Breakfast Break
Breakfast provided in the group discussion hall for female students.
10:30 – 11:15 | “Made by My Own Hands”
An activity demonstrating how ideas are transformed into books. Students create a book by compiling, stitching, and binding paper.
11:15 – 12:00 | Final Activity (school’s choice):
- “Draw My Library” – Students illustrate sections of the library (e.g., shelves, circulation desk, entrance), reinforcing memory of the library’s layout.
- “Anne Shirley” – Screening of an 8-minute animated film entitled “More Books”, adapted from Episode 16 of Anne Shirley. The story depicts a teacher’s initiative to establish a classroom library. Students watch the film and answer related questions.
At the conclusion, participation certificates and gifts are presented to all students.
II. Reading for Children with Special Needs
This workshop is designed specifically for:
- Children with physical disabilities
- Children with developmental delays
- Children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities
- Children with hearing impairments
- Children with autism or Down syndrome
Parents and caregivers also participate, alongside supervisors at rehabilitation centers. In addition to librarians, a specialized medical team in rehabilitative therapy and behavioral medicine contributes to delivering the workshop.
III. Our Children in the Library
This event promotes reading habits and fosters a love of libraries among children. Its slogan is “Children’s Reading Creates Heroes”. The program’s activities encourage young generations to engage in reading, visit libraries, and make productive use of vacation periods.
Contact Information
Book and Knowledge Initiative
Omani publications on economics and politics are in a stage of growth, and the Library of the College of Economics and Political Science has witnessed this through acquisitions and the expansion of its resources. This motivated the librarians to highlight such works in order to introduce them more broadly and promote them in ways that attract the Omani reader and those interested in Omani economic affairs, alongside political matters—which are of great interest to other communities due to the significant impact of Omani politics, established by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, on other countries.
Accordingly, this initiative aims to promote these resources while supporting the university’s vision of dissemination and scientific research.
The initiative involves contacting the author to obtain their intellectual work. The book is then read by the librarians, who prepare related questions and send them to the author for review to ensure they cover all aspects of the book.
Afterward, the date and venue of the event are announced via the college’s social media accounts and email for those who wish to attend. On the day of the event, a dialogue is held with the author about their intellectual contribution, followed by an open floor for the audience to ask questions and directly exchange ideas with the author.
Library Encounters Initiative
The mission of libraries changes according to the evolving needs of beneficiaries. From being spaces that house various information sources—printed and readable—libraries have become environments that also embrace audio and visual knowledge. Their role has developed to provide knowledge that meets the pressing needs of users in a fast and accessible way.
In line with this, the Library of the College of Economics and Political Science has organized encounters with specialists in economics and politics in the form of workshops, lectures, and entrepreneur talks to present their experiences and distilled knowledge in ways that capture the interest of beneficiaries. Thus, the library continues to play its role in providing knowledge in its explicit and tacit forms.
The Library Encounters Initiative includes:
- Lectures: where a knowledge provider presents a specialized topic to beneficiaries in a concise and focused way.
- Workshops: where both theoretical and practical applications of knowledge are presented to reinforce understanding among beneficiaries.
- Entrepreneurial Experience: where an entrepreneur presents their adopted idea implemented in reality, along with the challenges faced, the methods used to find the best alternatives for project success, and how to invest in developing the project further.
These initiatives clearly contribute to providing continuous and diverse forms of input for beneficiaries, keeping them up to date with economic information in its various forms. They also help them build a knowledge base that supports their future professional, practical, and personal endeavors.