The Government should allot libraries more funds to buy books, newspapers and comic books for children and upgrade their facilities, especially in rural areas, a workshop heard in Ho Chi Minh City on May 12.

Nguyen Huu Gioi, deputy head of the Department of Library, said since there were not many books for children or new ones, libraries failed to attract them.

He blamed this situation on a shortage of funds.

Phan Kim Hanh of the Khanh Hoa Province library said the Government\'s fund for libraries was too low and enough only for a small number of new books, newspapers and comics.

Dao Thi Duyen of Lam Dong said out of the province\'s 12 libraries, only three had reading rooms for children, while children in rural districts did not have easy access to libraries.

As a result, it was hard to improve reading culture among kids, she added.

Many other provinces had similar complaints.

Delegates suggested that the Government increase the outlay for new books, newspapers and comics by 15 percent and spend more to set up libraries for children as well as reading rooms.

Only two provinces, Bac Ninh and Soc Trang, now have libraries for children.

On the other hand, nearly a fifth of all provincial libraries lack reading rooms for children.

The workshop also heard that there was a shortage of librarians and that more training should be provided for librarians.

Prof Dr Tran Thi Minh Nguyet of the Hanoi University of Culture said librarians in charge of children\'s books should understand children\'s needs and psychology to choose books appropriate for them.

Only some libraries in the country, like those in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have dedicated staff for children\'s books.

Pham The Cuong, owner of a private library in Ho Chi Minh City, said salaries at libraries were too low to encourage employees to take the initiative to attract children or instil the reading habit in young people.

Delegates rang an alarm at the decline in the number of children\'s books written by Vietnamese writers. Most books available now are translated from foreign languages.

Dr Nguyen Van Tung, editor-in-chief of the Youth and Literature magazine, said the Government should have policies to encourage young local writers to write books for children.