The National Reading Promotion Programme, which has been running since 1997, aims to create and consolidate good reading habits among the Portuguese, with particular focus on children and young people. The programme organises projects and special activities to promote books, authors and incentives to read throughout Portugal.
Under this programme, DGLB offers technical and/or financial support for meetings, public lectures and debates (e.g., Books All Around, in partnership with Culturgest, supports the decentralised production and distribution of exhibitions, workshops and training schemes, in partnership with local councils –the Travelling Programme for Municipal Libraries). DGLB also produces different types of material, such as exhibitions about authors or themes or to mark special days (e.g., World Book Day, World Poetry Day, World Children’s Literature Day), as well as thematic reading guides. The Institute also works on inter-institutional projects, with prisons, hospitals (e.g., Story Hour, in partnership with Fundação do Gil) and other institutions (e.g., Reading Olympiad, in partnership with Círculo de Leitores Foundation).