The importance of reading among schoolchildren and adults led the Gozo Public Library to organise two events to mark World Book Day that is to be celebrated on Sunday.

Teachers, educators and students came together recently to discuss the importance of reading and the experiences of readers of different ages.

And Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono inaugurated an exhibition of 1,000 new books that the ministry bought for the libraries on the island.

This follows the acquisition of more than 16,000 new books for the same libraries since 1999.

The new additions include academic books for reference purposes, light fiction for teenagers and adults as well as children's books. Books in Maltese and English constitute the bulk, although books in foreign languages including Italian and French were also bought.

Libraries in Gozo are becoming popular, with more people registering as members and book-lending on the increase, the ministry said.

Since 1999, the Gozo Public Library and the Gozo Lending Library, both administered by the ministry, together with the branch libraries across the island, made up for around 700,000 books loaned and an addition of 5,000 new members.

The Gozo public libraries also offer storytelling sessions to children of various age groups and regular familiarisation visits, which are very popular with groups, particularly students.

The Gozo Public Library also offers an internet service and last year the ministry purchased 17 new computers for use in libraries.

Besides speaking about the importance of reading, Ms Debono spoke about the sterling service that the public libraries were offering.