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Laman Ismayilova

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International Book Giving Day is an annual celebration that aims to promote the love of reading.

The idea for International Book Giving Day, which is celebrated annually on February 14, was conceived by Amy Broadmoore, founder of Delightful Children's Books and The Curious Kid's Librarian, in 2012, Azernews reports.

This special day is marked by bookworms worldwide as a time to spread their passion for book reading.

In Azerbaijan, this special day holds great significance as it encourages individuals to embrace the joy of reading.

The Azerbaijan National Library has celebrated International Book Giving Day.

Director of the National Library, Karim Tahirov, addressed the event. In his speech, he underlined that this holiday creates a sense of love for books among the younger generation and is of great importance in the formation of a reading culture.

Karim Tahirov noted that this day was established in the USA in 2012 and has been celebrated in Azerbaijan since 2013. He stressed the role of reading in developing the worldview of the younger generation.

The director of the National Library presented books to schoolchildren from secondary school number 189 and 190 in Baku.

The event continued with an artistic part, where students recited poems.

On the occasion of International Book Giving Day, library staff prepared a virtual exhibition. The exhibition includes photographs, books on this topic and articles published in periodicals, with their full texts. Those wishing to view the virtual exhibition can follow the link.

Note that digital platforms have played a key role in promoting reading in the country. E-libraries and virtual reading sessions have gained popularity, allowing more book enthusiasts to access a wide range of literary works.

As Book Giving Day continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly contribute to the development of an enlightened society.

With over 5 million books, manuscripts, and maps, the Azerbaijan National Library is considered one of the largest libraries in the Caucasus region. Since 1939, the library has borne the name of the eminent playwright Mirza Fatali Akhundov.

The library has an extensive collection of literature in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, and other languages. It has collected and preserved national editions, works of Azerbaijani and foreign authors about Azerbaijan published abroad. The National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, visited the National Library four times in 1995-1997 and donated nearly 300 books from his personal library.

In 2004, the Mirza Fatali Akhundov Library was granted the status of a national library by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The building of the library is no less impressive. The library's faсade is decorated with the the statues of eminent poets and writers like Nizami Ganjavi, Mahsati Ganjavi, Uzeyir Hajibayli, Shota Rustaveli, Alexander Pushkin and many others.

The scope of the library's activities is constantly expanding. In 2005, on the basis of legal copies received from publishing houses and printing companies, the library published the yearbook "Books of Azerbaijan" for 1990, 1991, 2000, 2001.

Over the past years, the National Library has signed a memorandum on bilateral mutual cooperation with about 80 libraries.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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