KARACHI, Dec 1: Problems of book promotion were discussed between writers and publishers at the Welcome Book Port, a day before the formal launching of its book mela, on Wednesday.

The mela in vogue since 18 years, as disclosed by the sponsors, was as usual thronged by the book lovers, students, women, children accompanied by their parents and senior writers and poets.

Karachi University's vice-chancellor Dr Pirzada Qasim presided over the deliberations, as Mahmood Sham, Fatema Hasan, Noori Noorani and others expressed their opinions.

Fatema Hasan described her personal experience as to how she inculcated the reading habit in her childhood, who was now an avowed book reader, having read a large number of books at the age of 10.

She advised the mothers to devote a part of their daily time in the company of their children, read books and attract them towards reading book and journals of their liking. Another suggestion from Ms Fatema was the founding of Mohallah libraries, equipped with fresh reading material.

Mahmood Sham, during his visits to the US and the West, was fascinated by their libraries, the refreshing and congenial atmosphere in them with attached coffee shops and book stalls.

His suggestion was liked by everyone and the Zaidis of the Welcome Book Port showed their interest to help establish such a library if a proper place and incentive was provided.

They further offered to lend their books to such readers who were ready to return them after reading within specific time. Their offer was welcomed by many.

As the books were getting costlier everyday and unaffordable to most readers, Mohalla libraries was the solution. In this regard, the city government could play an effective role by opening libraries with the support of the respective area people and private school owners.

Dr Pirzada said that book melas at school and university levels were popular among the students, who always anxiously looked for them. This practice, he advised, should be encouraged.

The university library, Dr Pirzada said, was being digitalized and he had many plans to have more libraries at least one close to the campus benefiting the outsiders. However, he preferred reading books rather than browse them on the monitor.

The book mela, the organizers said, would continue to run for 30 days providing readers with all sort of books from literature to poetry and history to Islamic studies with the discount of 20 to 40 per cent.