TEHRAN (IBNA) -- Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi inaugurated ‎the first specialized public library for literary fiction in our country yesterday regarding the role of literature in social development as significant.‎
The plan was implemented in a bid to honor rich Iranian literary fiction and provide a better ground for pursuing the goals of public libraries in the country, public relations department of Iran’s Institute for Public Libraries reported.
As well as Salehi, several cultural officials attended the ceremony by adhering to the health protocols of covid-19 pandemic.
In his speech at the inauguration ceremony of Martyr Chamran Poetry and Literary Fiction Library, Salehi said: “The idea of establishing the first library of its kind in the country was on the agenda for several years and fortunately the plan has been implemented now.”
“To realize why the idea was important we should refer to various aspects of literary fiction which in the first instance is the status of that for the general culture of study,” he said.
“Observing the cultural consumption, we realize that literary fiction with an average of 35.4 percent of total study in our society enjoys a high status. At the ages of 15 to 25, this percentage is increased to an average of 41.7 which proves its influence on the future maker generation of the country. Also, the surveys from the first Tehran Virtual Book Fair show that after the books for children and young adults, the works of literary fiction have been the best-selling books,” Salehi pointed out.
“The second important aspect of literary fiction which creates a taste, love and passion for Reading is the role it plays in social development.”
The culture minister concluded by saying: “The third significant aspect of literary fiction is its contribution to social identity. A major part of our social milieu is conducted by literature. It means that a part of our identity is created by literature which has played a key role in the Iranian culture and has also introduced our culture on the international scene.”