Khaberni - Jordanians set a new record during the "Reading Marathon" organized by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, at the foundation's library branches and dozens of locations across various provinces of the kingdom, today Monday, under the slogan "Jordan Reads".
Senator Haifa Al-Najjar, the Chair of the Culture, Youth, and Sports Committee in the Senate, and Valentina Qassisieh, the CEO of the Foundation, announced at the conclusion of the marathon that (23,068,561) pages from a variety of books across different fields of knowledge were read by participants from various provinces of the kingdom, whose number exceeded one million participants.
The "Reading Marathon" coincides with the National Day of Reading, which falls on September 29 each year, and aligns with the launch of the National Reading Strategy adopted by the Culture, Youth, and Sports Committee in the Senate in 2025, titled "Towards a Reading Jordan".
Al-Najjar stressed the importance of reading in the growth and advancement of nations, pointing out that reading helps develop personal skills in analysis and critique through the application of critical thinking skills, as well as discovering oneself and understanding others.
She highlighted the importance of the family role in promoting the habit of reading, as the family plays a crucial role in fostering the reading habit among children by providing an encouraging environment, serving as a role model, allocating time for shared reading, and establishing a home library, all of which contribute to building a reading generation.
According to Qassisieh, the marathon aims to encourage reading, create small communities for it, introduce readers to new books, all in an atmosphere filled with learning and enjoyment, and affirm the role of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Library in creating culture and promoting the act of reading as a part of the life of its patrons.
Qassisieh pointed out that the marathon evolves year after year, where this year the foundation reached new places, as it expanded its partnerships with many relevant bodies across different regions of the kingdom, stating that the figures achieved this year are but a result of the efforts made by the foundation and the active entities in this matter.
Qassisieh reiterated the commitment of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, to increase reading rates in Jordan, and to work earnestly to achieve this goal, through its targeted programs that cater to various segments of the society.
Nizar Al-Hamoud, Acting Director of the Library, said that the foundation worked with its partners to make this year's marathon a success, coming out with a new look through providing the appropriate ambiance according to international standards for such events in terms of lighting, comfortable places, logistical arrangements, and technological services, noting the foundation's efforts to spread the marathon's message through various available means including the Marathon Studio which hosted numerous writers, intellectuals, library patrons to discuss the importance of reading and its role in building humankind and its character, and in the development and evolution of nations, including Senator Haifa Al-Najjar, Director of Al-Balad Theater Raed Asfour, Acting Director of Private Education at the Ministry of Education Dr. Mohammad Al-Rahahleh, journalist Farah Yaghmour, author Dima Al-Ami, Executive Director of "Sawt" Network for Audio Production and Media Aya Azam, and writer Osama Al-Shjarawi.
According to Al-Hamoud, the marathon included numerous programs and activities that were implemented during the event, explaining that this year's marathon was conducted in cooperation and partnership with the Ministries of Education, Culture, Youth, and the Greater Amman Municipality, in addition to more than 90 entities concerned with cultural, youth, and literary affairs.
It should be noted that the Abdul Hameed Shoman Library continuously works on updating and innovating interactive knowledge programs within its ongoing efforts to present knowledge in new ways and ensure the provision of various knowledge tools, including the "Reading Marathon" program, a cultural event that began in 2020 and is held annually to promote the culture of reading, based on the concept of promoting the act of reading in an interactive group way, where a group of patrons reads a certain number of book pages within specified hours.
Last year's 2024 marathon saw more than 10 million pages read, and collaboration with more than forty bodies concerned with cultural and literary affairs from various regions of the kingdom.
It is worth noting that the "Reading Marathon" is an activity conducted in many libraries around the world, based on the idea of promoting the act of reading in a collective and interactive manner, by establishing partnerships with many entities to spread and implement the idea in spaces outside or inside the library, including activities that break the monotony and reinvigorate it, to mitigate the feeling of boredom during continuous reading, and to encourage participants to continue reading, such as cultural games, book signings, story readings, reading clubs, and other cultural and reading activities.
