More than a decade ago, I moved to the U.S. for work and settled in a small town with around 30,000 residents in the northwest. What struck me most was not the shopping centers or entertainment options, but the prominent building near the town center: the public library.
I was given a free library card and allowed to borrow books for a full month without any fees, even though I had only been in the country for a week and was not yet a citizen. The library was not treated as a secondary support for education. Instead, it was seen as an everyday public service, open to everyone.
That library was more than just a place to store books. The spaces were arranged by age group. There was a corner for toddlers as young as one year old, complete with floor mats, stuffed animals, picture books, and building blocks. Parenting books were placed within reach so adults could read while spending time with their children. In this way, the library fostered early reading habits and made reading a part of daily life.
If a small town considers a library essential infrastructure, why do many communes and wards lack a similar facility that people can enter freely and return to often?
The story of libraries in the United States is often linked to a well-known historical detail. More than a century ago, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of thousands of public libraries. His reasoning was simple: Free access would allow poor people to gain knowledge and improve their lives.
Vietnam does not need to wait for a billionaire. It can repurpose public assets to create new value.
After recent administrative restructuring and mergers, surplus government buildings have become a public issue. Without a practical plan, these properties can end up closed, deteriorating, and wasted. They may even create additional maintenance and security costs.
They could instead be converted into community libraries. A library may seem modest, but its long-term impact can be steady and significant.
The land, location, rooms, electricity, and water are already in place. What is missing is a functional design and an effective operating model.
Children in Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam reading comic books. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Tu Anh
Simply replacing a “People’s Committee” sign with “Library,” lining up a few bookshelves, and opening irregularly would produce nothing more than a dusty book storage room.
For a community library to thrive, to become a place residents visit out of habit, it must be treated as a modern public service with several core functions.
The first is space for children and families: A reading corner with floor mats, picture books, educational toys, and weekend storytelling sessions. When children have a reason to come, parents have a reason to stay.
Next is study space for students with proper desks, good lighting, Wi-Fi, reference materials, and small group areas.
In better-equipped areas, a simple STEM corner could spark curiosity and independent learning.
Another group often overlooked is teenagers. Many no longer fit in the children’s corner but are not yet in the habit of reading long books. A dedicated area with comics, magazines, skills guides, and career-oriented materials can keep them engaged.
Finally, there should be space for adults and community activities. This is what turns a library into a true gathering point. Workshops on digital skills, career planning, conversational language, personal finance, and basic law, along with book clubs and discussions, would give the library a steady rhythm.
If former government offices have large courtyards, modest additions such as a simple play area for children or outdoor exercise equipment could support community use.
These features should remain secondary and not overshadow the library’s core mission.
How can this be implemented without heavy costs?
One approach is to start with minimum standards, launch quickly, and expand gradually.
Begin with pilot sites. Each commune or ward could select one or two former offices in convenient locations, preferably near schools, residential areas, and accessible roads.
Then carry out basic renovations like repainting, improved lighting, functional restrooms, tables and chairs, signage, and Internet access.
This costs far less than building everything from scratch yet significantly improves the user experience.
The most important element is operating as a network. Provincial libraries could serve as professional hubs, handling cataloging, training, and book rotation. Commune and ward libraries would operate as service points.
Through regular circulation, even small branches could refresh their collections and encourage readers to return.
Staffing could follow a hybrid model. One local official could act as coordinator, supported by retired teachers, Youth Union members, university students, and other volunteers.
What matters is basic training and clear operating rules. If the library opens on schedule, records loans and returns, and hosts a few regular activities each month, it already has a pulse.
Opening hours must be regular and publicly posted.
Once operations are steady, the next step is to standardize with library software.
Such systems support cataloging, barcoding, account-based lending, overdue reminders, and data tracking.
In a network, software also enables inter-branch circulation, inventory monitoring, and transparent management of donated books.
Data provides evidence of impact and supports continued funding.
There is no need to purchase a large number of books at the outset. A small collection aligned with local needs is more effective than a vast stock no one reads.
Contributions from individuals and businesses can help, provided there are clear selection criteria, inventory procedures, and transparency. Donations should be curated rather than simply accepted in bulk.
A common concern is who will operate the library and where maintenance funds will come from. A community library does not need to start at full scale.
Regular opening hours, perhaps several evenings a week and weekend mornings, a designated person in charge of circulation, and a regular schedule of activities are enough to build usage habits.
Funding can combine basic public budgets with carefully managed donations as long as transparency and measurable outcomes are maintained.
The greatest risk is not a lack of money but launching a symbolic project that ends with a sign on the door and the lights off.
To avoid becoming a formality, each library should track a few basic indicators such as the number of registered readers, weekly loans, monthly events, actual opening hours, and circulation rates.
With data in hand, requests for funding, sponsorship, or expansion can be based on evidence rather than sentiment.
A former commune or ward office can become a center of learning for the entire community, where children begin to love books, teenagers find their space, adults acquire new skills, and older residents have a place to read and talk.
As Vietnam expands free access to education and works toward broader universal health coverage, it would be consistent to treat community libraries as the next step in investing in people.
