July 20, 2003

The Children’s Library Complex is a unique institution that aims at encouraging reading habits in the new generation

IN PAKISTAN, ideas and initiatives with great potential have a nasty habit of losing steam mid-way. There are countless examples where the efforts of one particular government or individual lost favour of the following rulers, regardless of the importance and extent of the investment.

The Children Library Complex, launched with great fanfare by one of the most powerful and innovative governors of the Punjab, Lt-Gen Ghulam Jilani Khan, is one such example. Though still surviving, and of late somewhat thriving on a few individual initiatives, the project has certainly lost its initial momentum. Now, efforts of the present management are riveted on saving and maintaining whatever exists. Built in the mid-eighties on a sprawling 75 kanals on the prime land in the heart of the city, the complex was designed to provide “education at leisure” to children between four to fourteen years.

With eight different outlets, it was modeled to provide co and extra-curricular activities to children in the evening. The fee was kept affordable, Rs2 per month - less than the price of a toffee. There was a library, an audio-visual section, computer labs, hobbies and toys sections. An aquarium, mini zoo and museum of natural history were in addition to these. The idea was to progressively spread the complex to the provincial, divisional, district and community-level throughout the country to create an “education with pleasure” culture.

One-and-a-half decades later, however, it is still to have a replica anywhere in Pakistan. The existing building speaks volumes about the insensitive neglect it has suffered: leaking roofs, peeling paint and badly maintained huge lawns. Luckily enough, the building still seems to have some grandeur left in it that can be renovated and brought back to life.

The complex lost official favour as soon as the governor left his sprawling official abode, near it. The administrative neglect that it suffered after Mr Jillani’s departure sets a typical example of changing priorities with changing rulers. The complex did not have a full term director for the first seven years. During this period, ten directors were appointed. As if the heavy turnover of directors was not enough to rob the complex of its administrative consistency, all these directors were to manage the complex in addition to their other jobs. Naturally, their attention was focused on their original jobs and the complex was pushed to the bottom of the priority list. All of them were bureaucrats, and none was a librarian or educationist. Eighteen directors have been appointed in the first twelve years of the complex’s life. For the last five years, there has been no board of governors for the complex and needless to say that no major decisions could be taken without it. On top of this, the building maintenance department of the Punjab government told the complex management to move any request through the respective department, which in this case is education. This doubled the time for the approval of any request. Resultantly, there has been no maintenance of the building for the last five to the despair of Mr Nayyar Ali Dada, the architect, who was held responsible and arrested when roof of Al-Hamra Hall collapsed due to poor maintenance.

The late Dildar Pervez Bhatti, the well-known compeer and professor by profession, was the first exception as far as directorship of the complex was concerned. He died within four months of his taking over the complex which is now back with the bureaucracy. In 2000 came the second exception; well-known poet, drama writer and professor Amjad Islam Amjad was given the charge and luckily he is still there to bring in some administrative consistency and recreation for children.

With Amjad Islam Amjad using his personal influence (again a personal, not institutional effort) to save the complex, it has seen some improvement. For example, its budget has increased from a paltry Rs2.5 million in 2000 to Rs5.2 million in year 2002-2003. The membership has swelled to 16,000 children. Of late, a science museum has been added and efforts are being made to upgrade the computer section (it has archaic 286 type of computers which were out-modeled even before the birth of many of their users).

Since the complex is situated in the highly posh locality of government officers’ residence (GOR-I) of Lahore, its utility has been limited to the dwellers around it apart from the children who can afford conveyance. But of late, the bus fare, which was Rs400 for any school to bring its children to the premises, has been reduced to nil. “Most of the schools of the municipality and corporations could not visit it because they could not afford Rs400,” says Mr Amjad. Now with the fare reduction, 217 out of the total 225 such schools have visited the complex, which is a big success, he claims. Four days a week have been fixed for them.

Mr Amjad is convinced that even a one-day visit to the complex makes a difference to the children. “At least a new window opens in their minds and they start relating to the facts of science, history and of life. The mini-zoo and aquarium give these children a chance to see birds and fishes closely.

The hobbies section has indoor games like puzzles, a carom board, hide construction, capsules and Montessori apprentices. Recently, two table tennis and two billiard tables have been added. Some outdoor activities like lawn tennis, badminton and basketball courts are also available.”

On the utility of these sports, he emphasized that: “One must keep in mind that children from the adjoining slum areas are the most regular visitors because of the low membership fees. These kinds of activities fascinate them . They may not be very attractive for children from well-to-do families but they are certainly important for children from slum areas.”

The complex has also started short-courses for children at a very nominal cost. For example, courses in drawing, calligraphy, lawn tennis, arts and crafts, music, computer, basic grammar, spoken English, qirat, taekwondo, aero-modeling, creative writing (English) and story-telling cost Rs600 for three months. It was realised that mothers bringing their children to the complex have to stick around for hours without doing any thing constructive, the management has also started courses for them at the rate of Rs800 for three months. Now, these mothers can learn interior and dress designing, music, English, cooking, yoga and aerobics, career planning, while they wait for their children.

The most vibrant part of the complex seems to be its library, which houses over 12,000 books on child literature, Islam, history, drama, language and computers. It was perhaps because of this vibrancy or emphasis that forced the planners to christen it the “ Children Library Complex” even though it looks like a children’s complex that contains much more than what the traditional concept of library stipulates.

“It inculcates reading habits in children and broadens their mental horizons. This is a rarity in this fast changing world where the internet, talking points and chit-chat is fast replacing the book and reading habits. This is precisely where the basic utility of the complex lies. If it could bring these children back to reading, the purpose would be served,” hopes Mr Amjad.

The audio-visual section is another star attraction of the complex. It contains more than 700 video and 200 audio-cassettes of cartoon, history, culture, geography and history of Pakistan. The Sunday film show is a regular feature of the section.

Mr Amjad agrees that this building has failed to live upto its full potential as it is not situated in a densely populated area. No major housing scheme is located within one kilometer of the complex. This leaves it for the privileged, who can reach it by vehicles or for the residents of the surrounding slums. The city government would do well to create such mini-complexes in other parts of the city. The provincial government can take a cue and replicate it in other areas of the Punjab and federal government can follow up by creating them in other provinces.

“The tender age of 4 to 14 is best for inculcating reading habits. Once these children get used to reading, the rest of their life would be much easier,” Mr Amjad concludes.

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