The modern world is going through compartmentalisation and every sector requires sophisticated specialisation. Knowledge friendliness and research-oriented behavior therefore needs to be inculcated through the culture of reading. Being the principal formal institutions, schools should be introduced to this concept first.

School libraries serve as factories of intellect. The first consultant to make recommendations to the government for school libraries was David G. Donovan, commissioned to Pakistan as a USAID Consultant in 1974 to prepare a scheme for a total Information Transfer System. Thereafter, the education policy of 1979 announced adequate attention to the development of school libraries.

However, the important of school libraries had been realised in earlier policies as well. But unfortunately this realisation could not do much for the improvement of school libraries here. The public-sector schools are already in shambles. A few at the district level and in bigger cities do have libraries but with an insufficient, non-qualitative supply of books and non-trained staff due to a lack of regular training courses. The inadequate pay scales in the teaching sector have also hindered the scope of this field.

The budget allocation usually caters to college or university libraries with less spending on the deficient system of school libraries. However, the private sector schools have taken an edge in this regard with proper finances and professional librarians. Though, much research has not been conducted on the number of school libraries in Pakistan, a majority of them being semi-functional, the dynamics of functional libraries usually in the large urban cities may be referred to.

The library atmosphere sets behavioural patterns in students. School libraries, in particular, enable the students to acquire the competencies they need and it is quite easy to observe the child’s behavior while he or she utilises his or her skills in the library while collecting information. The student is introduced to the concept of responsibility and accountability while treating the book as library property.

The allocation of a library period in the timetable signifies the children’s need for sustained silent reading of his or her own selected material as a part of a definite schedule so that reading does not remain as a mere leisure activity.

Educational experts highlight the importance of equating skill development through direct teaching and independent reading for the children. Some children make their way among various reference-aids without any hesitation. But there are also those who need help in this regard. A general attitude of helping other students in difficulty develops among students, who possess book handling competencies.

A student from a private secondary school says: “We are compelled to use many books and reference sources from our school library in carrying out our assignments. Our teacher also encourages us to refer to the books in our library. Thus, we are free from passive memorisation of texts, while creating an intellect and original thinking among ourselves.”

Schools following a progressive education policy focus on library content in accordance with age groups as a part of their utilitarian nature. Ayesha Nasir, a Cambridge student at a renowned private school describes the organised system of libraries catering to all the four age levels at her school. “The first library is for the starters (aged three to seven years), the second is for the juniors or primary level, the third library caters to the middle school students and finally the fourth library is for the seniors. The differentiation in ages gives rise to individuality,” she wisely points out.

A general survey of schools running on affluent finances and healthy consultation for child development revealed a better picture. One school has a separate kindergarten library designed as a place of pleasurable interaction. There is a side reserved for watching videos with a huge television in a corner, and comfortable rugs and sofas for the little ones to sit on. The library’s system is pretty different from that of the other libraries. The students are expected to be accompanied by their parents once a week.

They choose their favourite book from the shelves, kept moderately at a low level for them to reach. Pictorial books related to the curriculum and informational needs of the children such as junior encyclopedias with colourful pictures, short moral stories etc., highlight the content of this library. The teachers also hold small story-telling sessions to attract the little ones to books while educating them about the simple and basic things and morals of life.

The second distinction in the junior library is for children of class II and V. With almost the same structure as the previously-mentioned library, this too is ably featured. There are two major differences in this library and the previous one. Firstly, the number of books here increases along with the academic needs and upgraded student intellect. Second, the student is not accompanied by his/her parent. A new concept of reference books has also been introduced. The students are usually not allowed to get the books issued at this level. They can refer to them during the allotted library period.

The library for middle-school students is generally fairly buzzing with life with students of classes VI to IX. The books here are of profound depth compared to the books in the libraries already mentioned. The libraries at this level are usually frequented by members of the school’s book clubs or literary groups.

Ayesha Nasir too is a member of one such group. She explains: “In fact a society named the Book Club and another named the Literary Club handles this library and monitors the books coming in. Old and new issues of nearly all South Asian magazines are also available here. There is also a special corner for the teachers. And this happens to be a restricted area for the students.

“Then there is a fine for forgetting books, losing tickets, etc. Each and every student has his own page with a record of what he issued and when. Students who maintain the library and follow its rules are given certificates at the end of the term. This not only encourages good behaviour but develops the joy of reading.”

Last but not the least, the senior library is an out of bounds library for everyone except the teachers and higher-class students in most of the schools. This library has one feature that none of the others have — a digital library. Fast speed internet, access to any type of educational information and research work has been made easy. Though lacking on fiction material, it contains books on diverse subjects such as medicine, psychology, business studies, law, mathematics, ethics and the list goes on …

Healthy library content drives the purpose rightly till the end. It is important to note that if the library legislation is implemented in the country there would be a larger sharing of books from the municipal and all district libraries with schools under the supervision of an education authority because then the public library system would entail the provision for lending collections of children’s books to the schools. Such collections should be rotated frequently enough to provide a fresh supply throughout the year.

Visiting mobile libraries are also a source of books for the school library council or literary club for inclusion of books to its stock. The reference material usually subsume dictionaries (preferably bilingual or multilingual), gazetteers, general knowledge books, atlas, biographies, quotation books and also books fulfilling the teaching needs of school teachers. Even comic books are sometimes used to attract the young readers.

In order to ply the students updated current affairs scenario, newspapers and academic magazines must be encouraged in school libraries. Particularly, the secondary school libraries must have a subscription of local newspapers and research journals. The resource centres and area study centres installed by the government must pay attention to school libraries as well in this regard.

Audio-visual aids have given new patterns of instruction, highlighting the importance of such material in school libraries. A collection of documentaries relevant to science, history, religion and current affairs in the library appears to be a great need of students for them to stay in touch with the constant changes taking place in the world.

Thus the library elevates a student to a boundless acquisition of knowledge, going beyond the classroom routine. There is no better place other than a school library to teach the child the art of study through self effort.