The newly-refurbished foreign language library officially opened to students on September 5 2016 in the TVU Foreign Languages School is longing for readers.

The library is equipped with air-conditioning and high speed Wi-Fi, and offers a light and spacious academic study environment. A large number of books are available on shelves most of them are from prominent publishing companies including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Penguine.

“With more than 120 English and Vietnamese bilingual books and English materials recently purchased for the library, students can access a variety of materials including fiction and non-fiction for pleasure and expanding their general knowledge after school hours,” said Huynh Ngoc Tai, an English lecturer.

In contrast to Tai’s expectation, students show less interest in the new library. “No one comes here so far,” said Mr. Quang, a volunteer student assigned to serve the library.

The School of Foreign Languages has recently spent almost VND $100,000,000 on print books and magazines. Inside the library decorations include banners and posters showing tips for IELTS testing as well as the timelines of world literature.

 “The declining interest in reading culture among our students is partially due to the influence of electronic media,” said deputy dean Dr Ho-Dac Tuc. “To ginger up the reading habit, faculty and students need to instill the value of reading and it takes time to break a habit.”

The last few days have seen an increasing number of student-readers visiting the library.

News by Chau Phi Runh and Lý Kim Minh Quang, Year 4 English majors