APROPOS your report ‘Social and political progress of a society can be measured by its education, libraries and books’ (Feb 8), it can be proved in a comparison of libraries in Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.

First, Islamabad has popular libraries like Central Library at Quaid-i-Azam University, National Library, Islamabad, and Archives and National Documentation Centre. The staff is cooperative and active. Everybody is allowed to touch, read and copy the books that attract a large number of researchers.

Lahore, the city of colleges, lacks in providing an atmosphere of study in its libraries except the Quaid-i-Azam Library. This is an ideal place for candidates appearing in central superior services examinations and less for researchers.

Dyal Singh Library and Punjab Public Library are noisy, where the staff sit and exchange yarns which disturbs the reader.

If asked for assistance to locate a book, they are usually not very cooperative. Photocopy machines are out of order, making it difficult for MPhil and PhD researchers to benefit from the library.

There is no custom of maintaining silence in Faisalabad’s libraries. Many books are in pathetic condition and may be lost to the next generation. I have observed silverfish crawling inside valuable material in Allama Iqbal Library.

In the Municipal Library and the main Library of Government College University, Faisalabad, the books are locked in cupboards and readers have to go through a strict procedure just to scan them. Reading these books is a Herculean task for the public because of the unhelpful staff.

Active use of libraries has produced great people in history who played vital roles in nation-building. Unfortunately, Pakistan now lags far behind in this respect.

The authorities concerned should improve all libraries in the country to facilitate the public and researchers. On the other hand, the nation should inculcate a habit of reading.

M. Shamshad
Gujranwala

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2015

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