Opening a New World Through Reading Project
The library is a source of academic service for those who seek knowledge, fosters a love for reading, promotes lifelong learning among the public, and acts as a repository for various informational resources. Organizing training sessions to have library assistants and conducting activities to promote reading and learning are essential missions of libraries at all community levels. Burapha University Library realizes that importance. Therefore, the library holds a project involving library assistants and conducting activities to promote reading and learning for female inmates at Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution. The objectives are to provide academic services for female inmates and encourage them to appreciate the importance of reading and learning through various forms of information media. The project also seeks to enable inmates to assist in the library during their imprisonment and apply the knowledge to their lives correctly and appropriately. Additionally, this project aims to spark a love for reading in order to foster creative thinking and uplift among inmates. Although they lack the opportunity to access external library services, they still possess the energy, knowledge, and ability to benefit their families, society, and nation in the future.
Objectives
1. To enable inmates to learn how to manage information resources according to proper procedures, including organizing materials before shelving, maintaining books, and assisting as library assistants in the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution library.
2. To promote female inmates at Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution to realize the importance of reading and learning through various forms of information media, including printed media, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources.
3. To foster a love of reading and learning among female inmates at Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution so that they can have lifelong learning by themselves.
Implementation
The project “Opening a New World Through Reading” was conducted at Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution, Chonburi Province on 27 August 2024. The activities included: 1) Purchasing books to donate to the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution library. 2) Practical Training sessions on book maintenance using hardcover reinforcement techniques. 3) Displaying new books 4) Holding a reading quiz with prizes. 5) Playing word-guessing games and proverb games. 6) Recreational activities.
Evaluation Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the activities (x̄ = 4.98). Specifically, the top three activities in terms of satisfaction were: music performances (x̄ = 4.96), practical training on book maintenance using hardcover reinforcement methods (x̄ = 4.93), and the reading quiz with prizes (x̄ = 4.80).
The impact is that inmates can apply the knowledge gained from the training and reading promotion activities effectively and appropriately in their daily lives as well as enable them to benefit their families, society, and nation in the future.
Project Leader: Miss Wongduen Charoen, BUU Library