The World Book and Copyright Day was declared by the UNESCO General Assembly in 1995 and is celebrated annually across the globe on 23rd April. It is a day set aside for the whole world to commemorate books and those in the production chain in addition to paying tribute and recognising the important contribution that they make to the social and cultural progress of humanities, the recording of our history, cultural heritage and the maintenance of a reading culture.
World Book and Copyright Day celebrates all things book-related: writing, reading, translating, and publishing. It is observed by millions of people in more than 100 countries, in hundreds of voluntary organisations, schools, public bodies, professional groups, and private businesses.
The National Library of Uganda in conjunction with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Sustainable Development of Uganda scheduled a week’s event to give visibility to the library sector with a series of activities for this year’s World Book and Copyright Day. Activities began on Wednesday, 20th April and climaxed on 23rd April.
The international theme for the Day was, “You are a Reader” but Uganda chose to celebrate it under the theme, “Readership Promotion”.
Various Institutions were invited to take part in several activities such as a books creativity industry exhibition, donations, health camp, a children’s reading tent, presentations, seminars, and author readings.
Cavendish University Uganda was well represented by the library team which put up a great display at the exhibition and showcased CUU attributes that in turn attracted many to visit the stall.
The World Book & Copyright Day also honors the memory of prominent authors; Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega who died on that day, among several other prominent authors.
