Days ago, the 20th College Student Reading Festival of Taizhou University came to a conclusion and Library Enthusiasts of the Year and Reading Stars of the Year were announced. Universities leaders including Jin Xianlong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of Taizhou University, and Wang Zheng, Member of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Taizhou University, the heads of the relevant university departments and second-level schools, and some teacher and student representatives, attended the closing ceremony.
During the ceremony, Jin Xianlong presented awards to teachers and students who received honors and awards such as the “Reading Star”, the “Library Enthusiast”, and the “Excellent Organization Award” of Taizhou University for the year 2023. Wang Zheng delivered a concluding speech, stating that this year’s reading festival had a refreshing and extensive range of activities, creating an integrated educational environment. He encouraged both teachers and students to make reading a daily habit, to persevere in the company of books, and to immerse themselves in cultivating a literary atmosphere throughout the campus.
It is learned that the reading festival lasted for more than 8 months, hosting over 40 themed events such as reading sharing sessions, short video recommendations, reading markets, parent-child reading activities, book-related designs, joyous reading photography, book and film clubs, and knowledge competitions. These events attracted nearly 5,000 readers from both inside and outside the university to actively participate.
▲Reading Stars of the Year
▲Library Enthusiasts of the Year
What is the charm of reading?
What benefits does it bring to us?
What makes libraries uniquely attractive?
Join us in attending to this year’s “Reading Stars” and “Library Enthusiasts”!
Shao Xinchen, a student from Class of Micro and Small Finance of 2022, won the first prize of this year’s “Reading Star” with a borrowing volume of 131 books. (The data is from the library statistics from January to November this year)
To be honest, I do not have much extensive reading experience. Although I read books during primary and middle school, most of them were popular online novels. It was not that they were vulgar, but there was not much to discuss, and I forgot about them after reading. My encounter with traditional literature or pure literature started in high school. There was a small bookshelf in the corridor of the classroom, filled with various journals and magazines, including literature, popular science, and social news. I flipped through some of them. Two literary journals, “Mengya” and “Taiwan and Hong Kong Literature Selection”, had a significant impact on me. Those refreshing and easy-to-read short stories were more suitable for a beginner like me compared to weighty classics. Starting from these journals, I realized another kind of pleasure in literature.
In college, I had more free time available, so I gradually developed the habit of reading for extended periods. My reading interests became more diverse, and although I prefer subjects like history, sociology, and philosophy, I still read a lot of literary fictions and some poetry. It is hard to say how long it takes me to finish a book because different books have different lengths, levels of difficulty, and degrees of importance. Typically, reading more than 20 books in a month is considered good for me.
When it comes to planning my reading, I do not set specific deadlines. Instead, I categorize them based on authors, themes, or series. For example, if I really like a particular author, I create a reading list in the order of his/her published books. I also enjoy reading books from the same series. For instance, Shanghai People’s Publishing House released a poetry collection series called “Silent Classics,” which I found interesting and wanted to try. If the books are more challenging, I plan my reading list based on themes or academic subjects. For example, in the past two months, I have developed an interest in historical anthropology, so I tried to create a reading list related to it, although it was not comprehensive.
I do not set specific time limits because reading is not a task for me; it is a hobby and a habit. There are times when I feel tired of reading. Once I see it as a chore, it immediately loses its appeal. I used to buy a lot of books to read, but this year I bought very few. One reason is that I did not get around to reading the ones I bought, so they collected dust on my bookshelf and became a pile that I could not fit. The other reason is that I am increasingly fond of going to the library. Whenever I have free time, I visit the library, sit down, and browse. I do not like staying in my dorm room during the day because I associate it with washing up, sleeping, and playing games. It is not suitable for reading in a serious and focused manner.
Sometimes the book selection at the university library leaves me feeling “amused and exasperated”. Sometimes, I thought the library would not acquire certain books, and right after I bought a new book, I saw it on the new books display shelf at the library.
Especially this year, the library updates new books incredibly quickly. Books released in July would already be there by October. Going back and forth in front of the new books display shelf adds an inch to my to-be-read booklist. The library has excellent taste in selecting books. They purchase books from some niche publishing brands, such as Mingshi, Baideya, Bohe Experiment, and Yazhong, which I like. They are not limited to the mainstream publishers.
So, I enjoy “mining” in the library (laughs). Although e-books have provided a lot of convenience, they also homogenize all books into the same format, confined within a rectangular screen, with the same font, the same weight… In contrast, physical books are much richer in experience.
In my opinion, reading is not just about understanding the words. The size, thickness, weight of different books, as well as the color, texture, and scent of the paper, all contribute to the experience of reading. That is probably the charm and appeal of physical books.
Now, when I remember, I may have initially invested in reading only because I did not have any other hobbies, such as learning, sports, or art. Reading was a convenient and private hobby that easily captured my attention. It wasn’t until later that I realized its endless pleasures. Eventually, I became more active and exploratory, and tried to analyze and summarize. I also realized that reading requires communication, although in my daily life, I rarely encounter other readers, but there are many reading communities on the internet, with people from various parts of the world coming together to chat. It is a happy sight to see people from all walks of life gather to discuss books. Regarding the benefits and help that reading has brought, I am still unsure about now, but the experiences I have gained through reading right now are priceless.
Ren Zheng, a student from Class of Chinese Language and Literature (Teacher Education) of 2020, won the first prize of this year’s “Library Enthusiast” for his 2632 times of entry. (The data is from the library statistics from January to November this year.)
In 2023, I spent a lot of time in the library. In the first half of the year, I was in the second semester of my junior year, and had a heavy workload. I was busy with my internship during the day, and the library was my main place for self-improvement during the night, where I had to stay up late to prepare for teacher certification exam, internship lessons, the final exam, etc. During this semester, I was mainly studying in the self-study room in the Silent Lake. In the past year, apart from the holidays and some special occasions, I usually went to the library to rest and relax.
I rarely went to the library in my freshman year and the first semester of my sophomore year, except for borrowing books occasionally. In the second semester of my sophomore year, I made a reservation for the self-study room in the Silent Lake and loved it here. The library and the self-study rooms are full of hardworking and dedicated students, who formed a strong learning atmosphere and encouraged me to keep going. Every time I saw an outstanding college student studying in the library, I kept reminding myself to keep working hard and not give up.
The library and the self-study rooms completely block out external distractions, allowing me to focus on my studies and readings with a sense of purpose. From that time on, my entry frequency increased greatly, and I would often study and read in the library. In the summer holiday of last year, I stayed on campus and spent the entire summer in the library, reading many classic works.
“Immersion at the TU library” not only helped me deepen my reading and strengthen my academic skills, but also helped me improve my academic performance by improving my ranking in the class and getting better grades in the comprehensive exam. For me, 2023 was a challenging long run, and I’m lucky that I had two “partners” who were also studying in the library and working together. We encouraged each other and worked hard, and we also had a strong motivation and drive to learn. Later, when I graduate, I will reflect on my college life and look back on my experience of “immersion at the TU liberary” with pride.
The quiet palace within the tranquil temple,
The vast library within the vast book sea,
Knowledge will be transformed into a star,
Light up the aspiring young minds.
In the busy fast-paced life,
Let us take a deep breath,
Read and practice regularly,
One step at a time,
Keep moving forward on the path of growth.
