Office of the Vice President Will Celebrate Second Meeting of International Booktubers 2019

Santo Domingo, February 5, 2019 – Young people who have a passion and interest in reading through the YouTube platform, will now be able to fully enjoy this form of entertainment during the Second International Meeting of International Booktubers 2019, an event organized by the Office of the Vice President of the Republic and the Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic (BIJRD). The goal of the event is to promote and encourage the love for reading among this age population.

Between February 13-15 the general public will be able to participate in this educational event, along with international guest Claudia Ramírez Lomelí, famous Mexican booktuber who made her debut with the book “El Principe del Sol” in Monterrey’s International Book Fair.

Ramírez, 28, holds degrees in Industrial Design and in Communication Sciences. Today, her YouTube channel – Clau Reads Books – has almost 397,000 subscribers. Her initiative has allowed her to travel the world to share her love for literature with citizens of many countries.

On Wednesday, February 13, at 7:30 a.m., the young Booktuber will deliver a keynote conference in Santo Domingo’s Saint George School on “What is and What Does a Booktuber do?” That same day, at 4:00 p.m., the event will officially open at the “La Trinitaria” Library. At 8:00 p.m. she will deliver remarks on “Ways to Become a Booktuber” in Mamey Library, in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone.

On Thursday, February 14, at 5:00 p.m., the Children and Youth Library will sponsor a panel discussion on “The Booktuber Phenomenon and its Experience on Readers.” Participants in the panel will be Amalfi Disla, Ángela Leonardo, Carolina Pichardo and Lucero Ducós.

On Friday, February 15, at 10:00 a.m., Claudia Ramírez will deliver another keynote address on “Risks and Opportunities of Being a Booktuber,” along with Avelino Stanley and Carolina Pichardo. At 5:00 p.m., she will share her literary experiences at the Technological Community Center in a well-known community in Santo Domingo.

Motivating Reading Comprehension

Booktubers emerged as a new interaction resource that orients, shares and provides opinions and recommendations on the literary world. Booktubers are individuals who are giving a special twist to social media outlets by sharing what they read in a fun and creative manner. Youtubers have millions of followers online and are contributing to facilitate Reading among the young, something that was thought impossible not too long ago.

The country’s Vice President, Dr. Margarita Cedeño – very much aware of this reality – has used the BIJRD to incorporate this valuable movement into the Library’s Reading program through the use of technology. In order to motivate the children and youth that visit the Library, the program also includes contests, meetings, discussions and workshops.

Last year, hundreds of students had the opportunity to hear Sebastían García Mouret, a young Spanish writer, journalist and speaker, one of the most influential Booktubers, who participated in the “First Meeting of International Booktubers 2018.”