“Read — and Play!”: New Project Launches in Almaty Libraries — One Hour of PlayStation 5 for Every Book

Starting from May 2025, Almaty Libraries have launched a unique initiative to encourage children to read — “Read — and Play!”. Now, young readers can exchange a finished book for an hour of gaming on a PlayStation 5.

The program is designed for library members aged 7 to 15. To receive gaming time, a child needs to read a children’s book from the library’s collection and retell its content to a librarian. For each completed book, the child is rewarded with one hour in a specially equipped gaming zone.

This initiative aims to foster a love of reading, enhance memory and thinking skills, and build lasting motivation to engage with literature. All gaming areas are outfitted with modern equipment and are supervised by library staff who maintain order, assist children with the console, and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Gaming zones are available at the following libraries:

— Children’s Library Branch No. 29
— Alatau Creative Hub
— Central City Children’s Library named after S. Begalin

The project will operate on a permanent basis.