Italian towns receive reading promotion funding as school library contest opens

The municipality of Padula (province of Salerno) has been awarded a €10,000 grant under the national "Città che legge" program. The funding, announced by vice‑mayor Caterina Di Bianco, recognizes Padula’s project "Leggere…ascoltando" for its contribution to cultural growth, social inclusion and civic participation, and will support school‑based reading activities such as workshops, author talks and educational paths.

Meanwhile, the non‑profit association Birba continues the ninth edition of the "Una biblioteca in ogni scuola" competition, which runs until 15 July. The contest seeks proposals to create or develop volunteer‑run school libraries in under‑served areas. The winner will receive a €1,000 book selection, free consultancy and a training session on children’s literature. Submissions must be sent to concorso@birbachilegge.it, and the winning project will be presented at the "Birba chi legge" festival in Assisi on 20 September. The 2025 winner was the "Le pagine sul lago" initiative in Magione.