Hernando Guanlao has turned his home in the Makati area of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, into a public library. Visitors can borrow the books inside for free. Guanlao says he hopes his library will inspire people to read, especially the young. The 72-year-old told reporters that his library includes books that all students can enjoy — from young children in kindergartens to older students in grade 12. What’s more, his library has books for readers of all interests.
Guanlao calls his library Reading Club 2000. It contains many different kinds of books, or genres (体裁). A genre is a group of artistic, musical, or literary works that share a particular style, form, or content. Some genres in literature are poetry, non-fiction (or real stories), and fiction (or imaginary stories). Then there are “sub-genres” such as cookbooks, science fiction, and mystery, to name just a few. Guanlao added, “There are also spiritual books for those who are looking for religious knowledge, hardbound and softbound books, autobiographies (自传), and many different genres that one can enjoy, all for free.”
Guanlao started his library more than 20 years ago when he set 50 books on the walkway in front of his home. Guanlao’s collection has skyrocketed greatly over the years — thanks to a continuous supply of books from donors (捐赠者). Speaking of donors, he said, “They just leave boxes of books outside my house.” He has also started donating books himself. He sends reading materials to public schools in far-away communities.
Guanlao’s efforts come at a time when reading ability among students in the Philippines remains low. The Program for International Student Assessment reports that reading scores in the Philippines are among the lowest in the world. Students in the Philippines are also facing learning delays in math and science. Guanlao is firm about his goals. “My mission is to give away used and donated books to others at no cost,” he said, “and to promote education through literature.”
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