UPHOLDING their mandate to provide service to the community, the University of Guyana (UG) library is hosting the Berbice Campus Library’s Seventh Annual Reading Programme from July – August. The programme which is free of cost, targets the slower learning grade 6 students of the Tain Primary School, and aims   to improve students’ reading skills with a view to assisting the students in their preparation for the 2011 Secondary School Entrance Examination.
The programme which began Monday before last (July 19, 2010), was launched   with an opening ceremony held in the auditorium of the Tain Campus.  Among those in attendance were special invitees, donors to the programme, volunteer staff for the programme, parents and students.
Speakers at the Opening Ceremony included Director of University of Guyana Berbice Campus, Mr. Philip Da Silva, Regional Education Officer, Department of Education, Region 6 Mrs. S. Bhajan and Lecturer at Tain Campus, Ms Grace Lambert.
In remarks made at the event, Da Silva told the audience that the decrease in reading was a worldwide problem. Opining that the reason for the decrease was the competition from the computer and television, he encouraged children to turn away from the games and television and read a book instead.
Bhajan outlined the measures the region was taking to address the literacy problem, positing that many are catching on what the Berbice Campus Library had started.
Lambert offered helpful hints to the volunteers who are present UG students attending the Tain Campus, adding that the teacher must also be a lover of reading.
Donors to the UGBC Library’s Reading Programme were acknowledged as part of the Opening Ceremony.

Representative of the Demerara Bank Ltd., Rose Hall Branch Shondell Welcome handed over additional donations. Other donors to the Reading Programme were:  Spready’s Bakery which is providing all the daily snacks for the students; Ministry Of Education Region 6, Demerara Distilleries Ltd.,  Republic Bank Demerara, New Building Society, Poonai’ s Pharmacy, Magistrate Chandra  Sohan, Mr. David Subnauth and Mr. Ryan Alexander.
A training session was held with the volunteers on Reading strategies, by Ms. Natasha Mendonca, a UG graduate and a trained teaching strategist.
The Reading Programme will culminate with a Closing Ceremony on August 6, 2010 at which the students would have the opportunity to display what they learnt during the three week period. To encourage parents to continue the trend of reading with their children, the book vendor Reading and Research Centre will be on location to sell books.