The Path to Light – In the World of Knowledge and Spirituality: Open Door Day
On October 28-29, 2025, the State Institution "Republican Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired Citizens" held its annual traditional event – the "Open Door" Days.
The "Open Door Day" event was attended by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year students and undergraduates of the educational program "6В03205, 7М03206 – Library Information Systems" under the guidance of Bayan Suleimenovna Assanova, Senior Lecturer, Candidate of Historical Sciences, from the Department of World History, Historiography, and Source Studies, Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Goal: To familiarize students with the life, work, and spiritual world of the blind and visually impaired citizens, to promote the important social mission of the library, and to exchange experience in improving professional skills in the specialty.
As part of the "Open Door" Day, a rich program of events was organized, aimed at drawing public attention to the life, work, and spiritual world of people with special needs.
The First Program – Exhibition "Special Books for Special People". The exhibition presented a collection of books printed in Braille and audiobooks. Library staff demonstrated the work of special equipment to the students and introduced them to the process of reading books by the visually impaired. Students felt a special sense of emotion, realizing that great effort, patience, and love lay behind each book. This exhibition taught students another aspect of reading books – feeling with the spirit and accepting with the heart.
The Second Program – Exhibition "Love – A Quality Felt Not with the Eyes, But with the Heart". This exhibition was filled with spiritual images reflecting the deep thoughts, inner emotional world, and feelings of the visually impaired about love and life. Works, handicrafts, and photo expositions by people with special destinies were displayed here. For the students, this exhibition provided an opportunity to feel the beauty of the human soul, and the true meaning of kindness and understanding.
The Third Program: An exhibition of tactile books "Special Books for Special People" and "Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Kazakhstan" was presented.
The Fourth Program: The presentation of O. Zhanibekov's book "Майдан мәдениеті" (Frontline Culture) took place. In honor of the writer, his descendants shared impressive stories and archives, and the library's readers gave a special impression to the audience with their performances.
The Fifth Program: The process of translating flat-print text into Braille, as well as editing and printing audiobooks, was presented, and a tour was conducted.
The Sixth Program: Employees of the department for library development, bibliography, and typhlology presented the work of the rehabilitation office and conducted a business game in a special format, "The World at Your Fingertips".
At the end of the event, students and undergraduates had an open discussion with library staff and were impressed by the life principles and perseverance of people with special needs. This day remained in the memory of the participants as a moving moment that helped them grasp the meaning of kindness and spiritual wealth.
The students and undergraduates were greatly impressed by the multi-faceted events held during the "Open Door" Day, which aimed to draw public attention to the life, work, and spiritual world of people with special needs.
