A virtual edition… Exhibition of Arabic Books for Children in Sweden - Al Araby TV
A new edition of the Arabic Children's Book Fair in Sweden has started, but it is virtual this year, as it was last year, due to the restrictions imposed by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition is held via a 3D electronic platform that enables children to participate and buy books in an easy way. Alaa Barghouthi, the executive director of "Nordic Digital World," the company organizing the exhibition, explains the mechanism of children's participation in the exhibition, which began on February 18th and continues until March 18th.
Virtual Tour of the Arabic Book Fair
Children enter the platform via their tablet devices and choose a cartoon character through which they access the virtual exhibition hall, wander among publishing houses, and select the book they want. Children can learn about the book's details by clicking on it, according to Barghouthi, and buy the book directly, receiving a physical copy two days later. Making the platform child-friendly and easy to use was a challenge for the exhibition management. The management developed an application similar to the game applications that children interact with daily.
Various Activities in the Virtual Library
A number of publishing houses from the Arab world and Turkey are participating in the exhibition, presenting a collection of books, especially children's stories and educational books. It also includes musical plays and virtual concerts. The exhibition also offers, in a lecture hall, special stories and segments, and seminars dedicated to parents addressing educational topics. Barghouthi says: "The idea started out of necessity, but it is well-received, and the exhibition is witnessing increasing اقبال (popularity/turnout)." The organizers tried to make the activities simple to attract children's attention. The company organizing the Sweden exhibition has drawn up a plan that includes holding a number of real exhibitions in European countries, which will begin implementation when the spread of COVID-19 subsides.
