The government will support book fans after all
5 December 2024 09:42
In accordance with the law “On State Support of Book Publishing in Ukraine,” the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the Procedure for Providing State Aid to Citizens of Ukraine for the Purchase of Books. This was announced by the government’s representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
It is assumed that such state aid is provided to the following categories of recipients
– citizens of Ukraine who have reached the age of 18 – within one year from the date of reaching the appropriate age;
– one of the child’s parents or other legal representatives – within one year from the date of birth.
They will receive book certificates worth UAH 908.
It is established that state aid for the purchase of books is provided to citizens of Ukraine who have reached the age of 18 as of January 1, 2024. It is also stipulated that the provision of state aid for the purchase of books at the birth of a child is carried out starting from January 1 of the year following the year of termination or abolition of martial law in Ukraine.
As you know, back in May, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a law aimed at stimulating the development of Ukrainian book publishing and book distribution. It provided for subsidies to bookstores and state aid for the purchase of books by Ukrainians. The right to purchase books can be exercised within 1 year and can be done through Diia.
“We have finally managed to unblock the issuance of certificates for the purchase of books and subsidies for renting premises for bookstores. All these things have already been budgeted, so there will be no additional costs from the state treasury. And there is a demand from the public,” MP Yevhenia Kravchuk said at the time of the law’s adoption. At the same time, she mentioned a study by the Ukrainian Book Institute, according to which in 2023, compared to 2020, the share of those who read daily for leisure increased to 17% (it was only 8%). The popularity of books in the Ukrainian language has also increased to 54%. It was 32% in 2020.
Reading is a trend. And not for the first year
This is confirmed by the results of a new survey that found out how and how much Ukrainian youth reads now. The survey was conducted by U-Report Ukraine, the Ukrainian Book Institute, and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
52.8% of respondents said they read every day or several times a week, while 22.5% said they read several times a year or never.
The top three reasons why young people read are: they just like to read (60.3%), for self-development (50.1%), and they like the “reading atmosphere” (49.1%).
The top three reasons why young people do not read are: no time (41.3%), no desire (33%), and other hobbies (28.5%).
As for where young people buy books, 57% of respondents said they buy them in offline stores, 48.7% buy them in online stores, and 35.1% download or read them online for free.
By the way, 78.4% of respondents said they preferred the printed format of the book. ⠀
Some tips from the Ukrainian Book Institute on how to “read yourself”
– Where you are, there is a book. You will be more likely to read more often if you have a book at hand (paper, on your phone or tablet). It doesn’t matter if it’s one page or ten. The main thing is to develop the habit of picking up a book whenever you have a free minute.
– Set aside time for reading. To start with, 20 minutes a day booked in your schedule will be enough, which can be gradually increased.
– Read several books in parallel. It is normal to stop and alternate books depending on your mood and desires. It works the same way as choosing a movie for the evening: one day you want a drama, the next – a comedy.
– If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Torturing yourself with a book is the worst favor you can do to yourself. In order to “read” you need to consume the literature that you like and admire. ⠀
– Find yourself a bookmate, that is, a “book friend”. An agreement with a friend to read a book together and discuss it helps to keep you in good shape. After all, you are now responsible for reading not only to yourself.
