Silent Reading Party at the Omero Museum: In Ancona, Reading Is for Everyone

Silent Reading Party at the Omero Museum: In Ancona, Reading Is for Everyone

The Silent Reading Party took place on Sunday, November 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Omero State Tactile Museum in Ancona. The event, which was free and open to the public, was one of three stops in an initiative organized in collaboration with Casa delle Culture Ancona and Mattatoio n. 46, and focused on a specific theme: the accessibility of reading.

What Is a Silent Reading Party?

The concept is simple. Participants share the same space and time, each immersed in their own book, in silence. There were no assigned texts or mandatory comments: everyone chose what to read, where to sit, and at their own pace. At the end, those who wished to could stay to exchange impressions and recommendations with fellow book lovers.

As the museum explains, the event was “an opportunity to slow down, carve out a moment of tranquility, and devote oneself to reading in the company of others, without sacrificing silence and concentration.”

Reading in Many Different Ways

At the Museo Omero, the initiative took on special significance. Reading, in fact, doesn’t just mean flipping through pages of paper. Print books, e-books, audiobooks, tactile books, and Braille texts were considered different—yet equally important—ways to engage with stories and knowledge.

Each participant brought the necessary tools: a book, an e-reader, a smartphone, or a tablet, and their own headphones for listening to audiobooks. The museum provided a selection of tactile and Braille books, offering the chance to discover a reading experience that also engages the sense of touch.

Free Registration for the Digital Library

During the morning, participants could sign up for free access to MLOL (MediaLibraryOnLine), the digital lending platform that brings together libraries and offers access to e-books, newspapers, magazines, and audiobooks. Once activated, the service can also be accessed from home.

MLOL offers tools designed to facilitate reading, such as customizable fonts and contrast settings, as well as digital titles accessible according to the standards of the LIA Foundation (Libri Italiani Accessibili). For e-books and audiobooks, the free MLOL Reader app is also available, which, according to the developer, supports screen readers and Braille displays. The accessibility of individual titles, however, depends on the catalog of the library to which you subscribe.

The Museum You Can Touch

The Omero Museum is located in the Mole Vanvitelliana in Ancona and is designed around tactile exploration: visitors can touch replicas of sculptures, original works, architectural models, and design objects. The exhibition spans three levels connected by elevators, with panels and captions in Braille, large print, and high-contrast text. Guide dogs are permitted.

A Right, Not a Privilege

For the museum, the event was not only a moment of shared reading but also “an opportunity to reflect on the right of all people to access books and culture, while celebrating the diverse ways of reading.” The initiative put this message into practice by placing paper, screens, voice, and touch on an equal footing.