DILI, 23 june 2021 (TATOLI)- Xanana Reading Room (XRR) will provide books through a digital catalog to ensure the enthusiasm of readers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world for almost 2 years, all social activities have been stopped and it is advised to follow health protocols to prevent transmission of the covid-19.
Xanana Reading Room or Xanana Gusmão Museum, Art Gallery Reading Room as one of the public libraries in Dili also temporarily paused to receive visitors and after the government of Timor-Leste imposed a lockdown starting in March this year.
“The COVID-19 gave a big impact for Xanana Reading room’s activities especially for the visitors to have reading activities. Thus, till nowadays we are not able to read activity to the public and to comply with the covid-19 protocols,” Xanana Reading Room Manager, Gaspar Freitas told TATOLI Journalists in his office, in Lecidere, this wednesday.
Freitas said that the library will facilitate the readers by accessing the digital catalog, the order will be made online, the readers will be contacted to pick up the books when the schedule is confirmed, after the books are returned they will be quarantined before distributing to others readers.
The data shows that since last 2020 the visitors have visited the Xanana Reading Room.
| 2020 | Male | % | Female | % | Totál |
| Jan | 1,223 | 69% | 554 | 31% | 1,777 |
| Feb | 1,916 | 63% | 1,107 | 37% | 3,023 |
| Mar | 1,483 | 59% | 1,045 | 41% | 2,528 |
| Abr | 13 | 68% | 6 | 32% | 19 |
| May | – | – | – | – | – |
| Juñ | 4 | 67% | 2 | 33% | 6 |
| Jul | 294 | 55% | 239 | 45% | 533 |
| Aug | 764 | 62% | 475 | 38% | 1,239 |
| Set | 1,124 | 60% | 754 | 40% | 1,878 |
| Out | 1,061 | 57% | 816 | 43% | 1,877 |
| Nov | 666 | 55% | 536 | 45% | 1,202 |
| Dez | 456 | 60% | 308 | 40% | 764 |
| TOTÁL | 9,004 | 61% | 5,842 | 39% | 14,846 |
“We will also provide video tutorials to access the digital catalog, they can stay at home and enter the catalog link, they can know how many books are here,” he said.
The catalog includes more than 4000 materials, collections from libraries in Timor-Leste and new libraries will be added every year.
The collection includes books, children’s books, reports, reference materials, DVDs, CDs, and films. Xanana Reading Room was established in June 2000 to be a safe place where children, youth, students, and the wider community, can access books and resources with a view to cultivating a love of reading in the community.
Since then, the Xanana Reading Room has made a significant contribution to the development of libraries in Timor-Leste and has hosted various educational and other activities aimed at fostering pride in Timor-Leste’s culture and promoting skills development.
Related news:XRR encourages Timorese youth to familiarise themselves with reading
Journalist: José Belarmino de Sá
Editor: Rafy Belo
