At the beginning of January 2025, we are celebrating the 6th anniversary of the state-supported free e-book website “3td e-book library” 3td.lv, which has gained considerable popularity among Latvian and Latvian diaspora readers through municipal public libraries during this time. Looking back on the growth of the 3td library during this period and evaluating the results achieved, in the new year we especially invite young people to try the 3td.lv offer and take advantage of the opportunities provided by 3td.lv – to read both translated and original literary works in Latvian in e-book format online for free.
The 3td e-book library on the 3td.lv website offers more than 670 e-books of various genres for free, divided into thematic categories, including “For Children and Youth”, which currently has 80 e-books available for reading, designed specifically for the younger generation. However, works that are attractive to the youth audience are also offered in other 3td library categories, such as “Fantasy and Fiction”, “Business and Career”, as well as “Spiritual Literature and Philosophy” and “Stories. Essays. Literary Fairy Tales”. 3td.lv also features works by Latvian authors included in school programs – “Bille” by Vizma Belševica, “Different Fairy Tales” by Imants Ziedonis, “Dzeja” by Eduards Veidenbaums and others.
The most read books in the “For Children and Youth” category over the past 6 years are “Jelgava 94” by Jānis Joņevs, “Čomiņš” and “Oki doki! Or when we grow up” by Dzintars Tilaks, “Different Fairy Tales” by Imants Ziedonis, “Heidija. "Girl from the Alps" and Latvian folk tales "Short Tales" arranged by Kristīne Skrīvele, while the most read in 2024 were "The Boy Who Saw in the Dark" by Rasa Bugevičute-Pēce, "Summer Book" by Tūve Jansone, "The Path of Zlata" by Dzintars Tilaks, "My Brother Catches Dinosaurs" by Giacomo Macariola and "Herbe with the Big Hat" by Otfrid Preisler. During the entire 6 years of 3td.lv's existence, the most read e-book in the "Children and Youth" category is "Jelgava 94" by Jānis Joņevs, published by "Apgāds Mansards".
One of the most prolific writers in the 3td library and also the most widely read among the young generation, Dzintars Tilaks, congratulating 3td.lv on its 6th anniversary, calls on young people: “Wherever you are, in whatever format you encounter books, read, live with them and gain your own insights! I am glad that my book “The Path of Zlata” is being read, that in these unusual and anxious times it has found its way to your hearts. Thank you!”
Writer Jānis Joņevs, the author of the most popular work “Jelgava 94” in the 3td.lv youth e-book category, addresses the young generation as follows: “Why read books? You can learn some things there that others will not tell you. For example, if someone tells you that young people used to be smarter and better, don’t believe it! Read my book, for example, and you will find out that it wasn’t. I read books and I am still amazed at what you can’t find there.”
Agrita Sagalajeva, project coordinator of the Cultural Information Systems Centre: “Considering the current and currently very important trend of promoting reading, especially among young people, this year we have also set ourselves the task of more actively addressing the youth audience. The 3td.lv platform offers a service that is extremely popular among the new generation, namely content consumption on a smartphone, and the content offered by 3td has many advantages – it is free, legal, diverse, high-quality, and on our website you can find works included in school programs, which are available anywhere when needed, even without going to the library."
Aiga Grēniņa, representative of the information technology company “Tietoevry Latvia” as the platform developer: “The 3td.lv platform allows you to diversify your reading experience in order to meaningfully use the time spent on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Referring to the range of advantages of the platform, which is especially relevant for young people, I would like to highlight the possibility of the whole class reading a specific e-book, for example, selected by the teacher, at the same time. The works included in 3td.lv are not limited by the number of physical copies and their availability on the shelves of libraries or bookstores. In addition, if in the daily rush you fail to read or virtually return the borrowed e-book, it is automatically returned to the reader's place after a two-week period without charging a late fee."