TEHRAN -- A Tehran-based institute working on Quranic studies has recently set up a section sending books via post to the readers free of charge.

The readers can select from over 5000 books available on the institute’s website www.tafsirejavan.com. The application should be sent through fax.
It is part of the Javan Quran Interpretation Institute’s program aiming to promote reading among children and the youth, institute director Mohammad Bisotuni told the Mehr News Agency on Saturday.
He described the bureaucratic regulations on using public libraries as one of the main reasons for the people’s disregard toward book and said, “This program also aims to ease the restrictions.”
According to Bisotuni, the program has been tested for a year and not even one book was lost during the period.
The nongovernmental institute had previously launched a project for donating books to poor people.
The people can show an identification card to receive the first book from the institute’s library. Next books will be sent to their addresses if they can properly answer three questions about the previously received book on the phone.
Javan Quran Interpretation Institute, which comprises eight centers working on Quranic studies, is located in the Pasdaran district in northern Tehran, where wealthy classes of people live.
Iran National Library and Archives Director Ali-Akbar Ash’ari lamented the lack of proper reading spaces and shortage of the latest publications in Iran’s libraries last week.
He announced that Iran’s per capita book reading is two minutes in every 24 hours.