“By the end of the year, the government will launch the second edition of the book voucher,” a concrete measure to ensure that books “continue to be protected, promoted, and valued,” stated the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports during the presentation of the 3rd Book 2.0.
The deadline to complete the first edition of the book voucher, valued at 20 euros, has been extended until July 15, following a 20% execution rate, thereby allowing more young people to benefit from the initiative.
Once this phase concludes, the Directorate-General for Books, Archives, and Libraries (DGLAB) will prepare an evaluation report to help the ministry better understand the initiative’s reach, actual impact, and areas needing improvement.
“Preliminary findings suggest an increase in the allocated value is possible. Additionally, we recognize the need for greater efforts to publicize this measure to reach more young people across the country, from north to south,” stated Margarida Balseiro Lopes.
Miguel Pauseiro, President of the Portuguese Association of Publishers and Booksellers (APEL), which promotes Book 2.0, highlighted, regarding the minister’s announcement, that “the value is significant.”
“We won’t create readers in a year, and 20 euros isn’t enough to create readers. We need to work on improving the value, communication, and operationalization in bookstores,” he said.
Margarida Balseiro Lopes began her remarks by emphasizing the importance she places and intends to place on books during her mandate, noting that her first public act was visiting the Lisbon Book Fair.
For the minister, the change in lifestyle brought by technology “profoundly alters” living, learning, and communication styles, making it “more important than ever” to consider “the role of reading, literacy, and knowledge in building a society not only more prepared but also freer.”
“Talking about reading is much more than talking about books; it’s about access and equality,” said the minister, adding that “a country that values books is one that understands that educating is not just about transmitting knowledge but also about forming critical thinking, sensitivity, and imagination,” and that “a society that reads is a society more prepared, freer, and more aware of its choices.”
The Ministry of Culture extended the usage of the book voucher for 18-year-olds until July, an initiative announced on April 23 when the deadline would have ended, and the program’s execution was below 20%.
According to preliminary data from DGLAB, revealed today, in the first edition of the book voucher, running until July 15, from an estimated universe of 220,000 young beneficiaries, about 47,000 book vouchers have been issued.
When it became clear the book voucher wasn’t receiving the expected uptake, Miguel Pauseiro stated in an interview that one barrier to the program’s success was the voucher’s value, which was “far below” the 100 euros proposed by APEL.
The proposed value by APEL is “compatible with the goal of creating readers,” he said.
“Readers aren’t created by buying a single book; they’re created by regular reading habits, which imply more than just one purchase,” he argued at the time.
The APEL President also deemed it crucial to adjust and enhance communication with young people to encourage uptake, as well as streamline access to the book voucher, citing operational challenges such as the requirement for a digital mobile key.
