A person competes in the reading marathon. [Photo by Li Zhong/hangzhou.com.cn]

The Zhijiang branch of the Zhejiang Library kicked off a reading marathon for visually impaired persons on April 23, marking the 29th World Book Day. A total of 40 individuals are participating.

The reading marathon involves participants listening to electronic books using smart audiobook devices, requiring both patience and concentration. For many visually-impaired participants, this was a unique and exciting experience, with several people participating for the first time.

After the competition began at 1:30 pm, the participants quickly immersed themselves in listening, taking on the challenge of reading the full text of Bi Shumin's work The World is Like a Shuttle, which is over 40,000 words long. To finish within the designated time, a minimum listening speed of over 300 words per minute was required (most visually-impaired readers have a listening speed of around 450 words per minute).

At 2:27 pm, Su Xian signaled that she had finished reading. Although she didn't answer all the questions correctly in the quiz section, Su couldn't hide her excitement and discussed the insights she gained from the book with others at the event.

Chen Xiong, who answered all the questions correctly, finally won first place. "I'm a masseur, and I spend one to two hours reading books every day, mostly literature and social science. This 'reading marathon' felt very liberating, and I will definitely participate in similar events in the future!"

The library's accessible reading area is equipped with a batch of audiobook devices and contains various audiobooks issued by the China Braille Publishing House. Visually-impaired readers can borrow the devices for free to enjoy reading at home. Additionally, the accessible reading area is equipped with braille printers, magnifiers, and a collection of braille books, making reading even more convenient.