The library is the new Sant Antoni Market

BarcelonaThe Catalan Book Week has just closed the best edition in its history: about 130,000 people, 8,000 more than last year, and a turnover of nearly one million euros, 12% more. Sant Jordi also broke records, with 26.7 million euros and two million books sold. When the book is dressed up, people go out into the street. But, what about the next day?, and the next?, and the next? It happens just like with gifts: at Christmas and on birthdays we all become thoughtful, and that day will mark a year.

A few days ago, a friend sent me an article about Singapore's efforts to foster daily reading, with uneven results. In 2005, they proposed that everyone read the same books so they could talk about them, as if it were a Barça match. In 2016, they launched a campaign that invited people to read more, everything and together. But these initiatives have not managed to make books take root in daily life, since only 28% of Singaporean adults claim to read books more than once a week (although 89% say they read something). For this reason, this year they have decided to try it with money: those who register fifteen minutes of daily reading receive virtual coins equivalent to two Singapore cents. One can also opt for a collective gesture and add up minutes together to unlock a donation to organizations. The pilot ends in December and we will have to wait to see the results.

The reward of returning to the library

This initiative raises questions, as if an activity has to be paid for, it might be difficult for it to generate intrinsic motivation, and there is a risk of teaching that reading is not worthwhile in itself. In any case, in Singapore itself, they have another campaign that has been quite a success. Since 2016, children who borrow books earn points that they can exchange for stickers, with which they play and trade with other boys and girls at the library. In a single edition, almost 140,000 children participated, and more than 11 million loans were exceeded. What is rewarded is the borrowing, not the reading, that is to say, returning to the library and sharing activities there. The good news is that those who started borrowing books have continued to borrow about eleven per month once the campaign ended. And those who were already borrowing before the campaign went from eight to about fourteen per month. Now they want to start even earlier. For years, they have been encouraging families to register their babies as library members, who receive a welcome pack with books, songs, and a reading journal. In January, furthermore, a new line for children aged 0 to 6 and their families will start. We will stay tuned.

In our country we know a lot about both books and trading cards. Every season, the League albums fly off the shelves and the Sant Antoni Market fills with little ones (and grown-ups) looking for the ones they are missing to complete their collections. Had we ever imagined that this could happen in a library? Children queuing with a book under their arm, on any given day. Perhaps the key to the day after Sant Jordi has been found in Singapore: an exciting collection, some friends, and a place full of stories (waiting to be discovered) where one can meet up.