Culture has been described as the total way of life of a people. So many things are practiced by people for so many reasons, and for one thing to become an integral part of a people; such a thing must first win the interest and trust of the people. Chibueze is an Igbo name meaning “God is the King of all kings.” The relationship between the name and the flame of a reading culture is found in the following story.
Chibueze was a schoolboy in his 20s who developed a love of reading books. In his formative years of formal education, his teacher had trained him in the midst of other students to be a wide reader. He then encouraged him by introducing him to different libraries besides the school library, where he spends most of his free time reading and researching. As a result, Chibueze developed more interest in reading books, even those that people may refer to as “junk”. He was the first boy in his school to discover the multiple objectives of a school library.
He came to see the school library as a place to introduce boys and girls to books of all kinds, a place of learning important things outside of the classroom. Her first school had a library that could not provide her with a wide selection of books. She pressured her father to transfer to a school with a better library after her junior high school.
In the last year of a new school, Chibueze developed a passion for reading. The school library helped encourage him to read for pleasure. He developed a love of reading as he used books and learned from them without the presence or help of a teacher. In his presentations and recommendations to parents and teachers on the occasion of his graduation ceremony, he encouraged parents and teachers to teach their children and wards how to use books. He took extra time to educate others about the purpose of the index, the table of contents, the meaning of title words, the frontispiece, etc.
He also advised that students adhere to the instructions in the use of books, especially in the school library, or classification and catalogue. Also so that students do not have any difficulty finding information in the books, he advised that the scope of the reference section and the arrangement of individual works be adequately explained.
However, Chibueze distinguished himself as someone who had a respect for books. However, this quality in him did not arise naturally, but developed in him as his love of books increased over time. One finds in him that in addition to the love and respect he had for books, there was also this love he had for public property that endeared him to so many well-meaning people. Later, the school library was named after him to encourage dedication and hard work among other students. Chibueze was one of those who actually spent his days in school to keep alive the flame of reading culture, the fruit of which he later came to enjoy.
