Recent years have seen a growing number of small privately-owned libraries setting up in residential areas across Da Nang as an effective way to inspire even more locals to promote reading habits, as well as to build a healthy and cultural lifestyle in the city. No list of such popular reading spots would be complete without a mention of the Hien Nhan mini-library located on Le Huu Trac Street, Son Tra District, which has emerged as a wonderful place for book-lovers.

A corner of the Hien Nhan mini-library

Despite covering an area of less than 50m² only, the Hien Nhan mini-library looks like a lovely miniature world of books arranged impressively in a cozy space

Gia Bao, a 6^th grader from the Nguyen Van Cu Junior High School, a regular visitor to this library, excitedly said: “I often go to Hien Nhan library with my friends when I finish the gym class. The library is right next to my school, so my parents feel secured to allow me to visit here. I really like reading books about celebrities and the Vietnamese history. There are a wide range of comics here, and the rental fee is also cheap”.

Teacher Dang Van Muoi, the owner of the library, said, Hien Nhan library was built from his own savings in 2017.

To date, there have been about 3,500 book titles classified in 16 categories, including foreign literature, literature, science, economics, religion, and comics. Of this figure, as many as 1,000 book titles are on Vietnamese and foreign literature.

The library is divided into such separate areas as reading areas for adults and children, and a group work space.

Currently, the library opens daily weekdays from Monday to Friday, with 8:00am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm – 5:00 pm.

Visitors are offered various options to rent books at the library, either the yearly rental fee of 150,000 VND with an unlimited number of borrowings, and only one book for each turn; or 5,000 - 10,000 VND for each borrowed book at random, depending on the value of books.

Those who want to read books right at the library can also buy reading cards at different rental rates, namely 8,000 VND, 50,000 VND, 120,000 VND, and 365,000 VND per turn, month, quarter and year, respectively.

In particular, 20% discounts on all library services are now offered exclusively for school pupils.