(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Hala Abdallah / The Peninsula
To revive dying culture of book reading, a number of well-known cafes in Qatar have started with the initiative of providing their customers with an ambiance that motivates them to read books.
Book reading habit is on constant decline in the Middle East and it is due to several cultural, economic, and even political reasons, said a Lebanese writer, Basma Al Khateeb.
'But allocating a section for reading in cafes is a healthy phenomenon that I hope to spread. Interaction with many people has revealed that they do strongly believe that the atmosphere being provided by cafes like Mokarabia, Caribou Coffee and Paul Café helping in spreading the book reading culture.
'We offer more than thousands of books here in different languages for all our customers, said Jobelle Milla, supervisor in Mokarabia Café at Mall of Qatar.
'The library is a part of the interior design and the theme was an initiative by the owner himself, Milla told The Peninsula adding, 'The books were collected randomly from different places in Qatar since we first started cafe in 2015.
Moreover, Caribou Coffee noticed a wide turnout by readers, students and even workers in Qatar. 'In Caribou Coffee, there is always a type of people who come here to meet and talk about business, students studying or people just reading books. One time, I even saw a teacher teaching his student in this café. Because, I think, the ambiance and the place in general is suitable for the purpose of learning, said Lindsy an American college student in Qatar.
Nevertheless, Mokarabia's library contains books that are not only in English but also in Arabic and Spanish. 'Our strategy is not to lend books to customers so they would come back just to finish the book they were reading. Sometimes visitors hide the books inside the book cabinet so that they could easily find it on their next visit, said Thata Alido, the assistant manager of Mokarabia Ezdan Tower 1 branch.
'The majority of our customers that are interested in reading here are Arabs and Europeans. They usually come here to read between 6pm and 9pm; during this time it is a bit dull and not crowded so they prefer to stay in the last section of the café to read in tranquility, she added.
Emma, a European customer at Paul Café believes that the interior of the place is what makes the visitor feel comfortable to read in public. 'The interior in Paul Café is just like European and we usually like to read in public places so this café induces me personally to practice my habit of reading.
Highlighting on the importance of this initiative, Al Khateeb added, 'Coffee shops throughout history have witnessed the birth of great ideas in which many authors wrote influential books in global cultural and social movement and where the elites would meet to discuss and develop ideas, as in sidewalks Parisian cafes in mid-twentieth century, for example.
Al Khateeb also shed light on crucial idea to promote book reading culture in Qatar as she suggested, 'The presence of libraries in airports or metro stations is a very important idea. As well as, if each family assigns a corner for library and reading these things are fundamental to stimulate the culture of reading in our community.
Saoud, a Qatari customer at Mokarabia Ezdan Tower 1 branch said, 'It is the first time I am visiting this branch; I really liked the fact that there is more than one section so I can find a calm place to read. 'I think this is the right place for readers, he added.
'In Qatar, there are many technological and entertainment attractions that distract people from reading. In addition, reading is not usually rooted in the Arab family, Al Khateeb told The Peninsula adding, 'Thus I see the initiative of promoting reading in cafes through this strategy as good and promising step.
However, Al Khateeb claimed that 'their success depends on the response of the public and the intention of those who are in charge of these initiatives and their application. It depends on whether they are offering it arbitrarily or on the basis of a deliberate plan with conscious goals and future steps.
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