ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: National Library Director-General Chaudhry Mohammad Nazir has said a Rs30 million PC-I of proposed Online National Library will be submitted next month.

Talking to this agency, the director-general said the objective of the project was to focus on resource sharing and coordination among global literary centres, including libraries and research centres.

He also stressed raising of funds for libraries to buy books, besides encouraging reading culture in the country. Mr Nazir said the objective of National Library was preservation of literature published in the country about Pakistan and its people. To achieve this objective, it is imperative not to lend books, but to preserve these and allow people to use these as references, he added.

The director-general said the library housed more than 180,000 books and internet facility had also been provided in the four reading halls for the public. He said the department of libraries also established Islamabad Public Library at F-6 Markaz. This library contains over 100,000 books and also provide the facility of lending, he added.

Mr Nazir said evening shift of Islamabad Public Library would start this month from 3pm to 8:30pm. The National Library will also start its evening shift soon, he added.

He said to attract children towards reading, a Modern Children Library was established in G-6 near Lal Masjid, while a proposal had also been submitted to shift both Islamabad Public Library and Modern Children Library under one roof.

The director-general was of the view that book exhibitions played a vital role in attracting public towards literature.