Treat books as windows onto another world: UNESCO on World Book Day

Today, April 23, is World Book Day which is also known as 'World Book Day and Copyright Day' that is an annual event organized and coordinated by UNESCO to promote enjoyment of reading books.

    Every year, as part of the observance, a World Book Capital is selected by UNESCO and international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries to promote books and reading for all age groups and across all sectors of society, in the host country and beyond. The book capital project is meant to underline how books can bring about social through literacy, education and poverty eradication along with creating sustainable economic benefits.

    Urging the world community to celebrate of the power of books, UNESCO states, "Books are like a window onto another world – with each new page, they introduce us to new people, new cultures and new ideas."

    UNESCO holds, "Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world. For books to be able to unleash their full potential, it is essential that they reflect the linguistic diversity of our world."

    "Multilingual books play a key role in literacy – children learn to read and write best in their mother tongue. UNESCO advocates for multilingual learning materials to improve learning outcomes," states UNESCO.