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Mini libraries are all set to welcome metro riders of four metro stations to utilise their waiting time during transit.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the second edition of Read More initiative targeting students, users of public transport modes, RTA staffs, and special needs.
The initiative to support the concept of reading in public place is aligned with the Arab Reading Challenge initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim of fostering reading habit across the Arab world.
The Challenge envisages reading 50 million books by more than a million students during the academic year.
As part of the Read More initiative, public libraries will be set up in four metro stations where a variety of books will be on display.
The selected metro stations will be fitted with book barcodes to be scanned by smartphones to encourage riders to read during transit time.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: “The second edition of Read More initiative comprises five mini initiatives; two of them are being undertaken in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. The first entails the establishing of public libraries in four metro stations. A variety of books will be on display, and the metro stations will be fitted with book barcodes to be scanned by smart-phones to encourage riders to read during transit time. The second initiative is the “Knowledge Chair,” where the RTA is considered the first entity to obtain five chairs in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.
Chairs will be distributed at three locations as follows: Two at Ibn Battuta Mall and Mall of the Emirates, two chairs at Customers Service Centre at Al Barsha and Deira, and one chair at RTA Head Office. The Knowledge Chair is a circular chair surrounded by books and scientific references.
The third initiative offers support to school libraries and government libraries at Hatta covering various administrative fields, self-improvement, and short stories among others.
The fourth initiative comprises four audio stories where coordination will be made with a number of distinguished media members to make audio recording of stories in various languages (Arab, English, Urdu and Malayalam), and post them in social media channels.
The RTA will donate the audio copies to Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired.
The fifth initiative is a short story contest aimed to encourage university and school students to write short awareness stories the topics of which will be selected in coordination with the RTA Traffic Department.
The initiative will be released on the social media and the winning stories will be published in Salama Magazine, issued by RTA and winners will be given rich prizes.
Al Tayer added: “Read More initiative aims at nurturing the culture of reading among school and university students, broadening the scope of their knowledge and thinking, besides filling their free time with useful activities. After all, books are the best companion.”
Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, said: “The Knowledge Chair initiative launched by the Foundation in collaboration with the RTA in Dubai, conforms to the directives of Shaikh Mohammed for lending continuous support to reading and knowledge. The initiative supports the concept of reading in public places, and the optimal utilisation of the waiting time during transit...The initiative will compile a mini library comprising an excellent collection of modern publications in various fields such as administration, innovation, kids’ stories and novels,” added bin Huwaireb.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
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