Dubai: Sixty years after UNESCO first proclaimed International Literacy Day, the meaning of literacy continues to evolve. Reading remains the foundation, but literacy today also means knowing how to find information, assess it and put it to use.
Global literacy now stands at 93% among young people and 88% among adults, according to UNESCO. Yet 739 million youth and adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills. These figures point to both the continuing need to strengthen foundational literacy and the growing importance of providing people with the resources to build on it, develop the skills to explore information, and pursue their interests.
At House of Wisdom (HoW) in Sharjah, this evolving idea of literacy unfolds across a lifetime: from a child discovering a story, to a student navigating academic research, a reader exploring an audiobook or an international newspaper, and, ultimately, a young inventor putting knowledge into practice at the Al Jazri FabLab. Along the way, the ways we access and engage with knowledge may change, but the desire to know more remains constant.
Often, it starts with a question.
For children, that impulse can begin with the stories they read and the ideas they encounter through them. HoW supports this early curiosity by giving young readers different ways to strengthen their reading, follow new interests and take their first steps towards finding and exploring information for themselves. Its resources span reading and comprehension tools, periodicals and digital research content, alongside a wider collection of more than 305,000 books, including around 105,000 printed books and millions of renewable digital titles.
“Literacy begins with the ability to read, but it grows every time we ask a question, explore a new idea or see something from a different perspective,” says Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of HoW. “Our role is to give people, from their earliest years and throughout their lives, access to resources and experiences that spark curiosity and build the confidence to keep learning.”
As readers progress, their information needs become more complex. HoW’s collection of books, journals and academic research supports students, researchers and general readers working across subjects, languages and perspectives, whether they are pursuing formal study or an independent interest.
The collection also reflects the different ways people read today. Alongside printed material, readers can listen to audiobooks through the Libby app or access newspapers and magazines from around the world through Press Reader, choosing the format that best suits their interests and the way they prefer to engage with knowledge.
Beyond the collection, book clubs, workshops, language courses and other programmes bring people together around what they read and learn. The House of Wisdom Book Club, for example, provides participants with a space to discuss ideas, exchange perspectives, and engage more closely with what they read.
At Al Jazri FabLab, knowledge moves from understanding to application. Equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics kits and AI workstations, the makerspace gives students and young inventors the tools to test concepts, develop designs and create.
From a child’s first story to academic research, global media, shared discussion and hands-on making, literacy can take many directions over a lifetime. The formats and tools may change, but the journey remains rooted in the same impulse: to read, to understand, to ask questions, and to keep discovering. Because often, it starts with a question.
