Ho, Aug. 17, GNA - Step Publishers, publishers of books and magazines, has embarked on a project aimed at bringing back the culture of reading among the citizenry especially the youth.

Under the project, churches would be empowered, encouraged and supported to establish libraries in suitable locations on church premises to lend out books to people in and around the churches. Mr. Lawrence Dramani, Managing Director of Step Publishers, announced the package at a seminar for selected churches on the project.

He said the project would bring libraries closer to young people in the right and whet their "appetite for borrowing and reading". Mr Dramani attributed the poor reading habit among young people to the non-availability of the right books and a convenient atmosphere for reading.

He said the churches did not need to have structures to operate libraries and that a vestry was enough to kick the project started. Mr Dramani said Step Publishers would sponsor 60 per cent of the cost of the establishment of the libraries and urged churches to grab the opportunity to inculcate reading habit in their people.

He said churches interested in the project would have to institute library days and reading picnics on the church calendar to encourage people to develop reading habits.

Mr Dan Dzunu, Training Director of the Ghana Youth For Christ, described the project as "a great revolution" and expressed the hope that the project would help the Ghana Education Service raise the standard of English Language among students.

Step Publishers is a member of the Ghana Books Publishers Association and has been publishing books and magazines since 1989. It is noted for training young writers and publishing of sound literature including Christian literature.