LAHORE: The Lahore Museum Research and Reference Library has recently undergone upgrades with the addition of thousands of printed books and a large collection of e-books, Lahore Museum Director Muhammad Usman told Dawn on Friday.

Mr Usman stated that the primary goal of the library is to provide high-quality services by offering valuable information to the public regarding Asian history, archaeology, arts, museology, oriental languages, and the history of cultural heritage. The library serves as a support system for the museum’s collection and artifacts.

The library currently houses over 35,000 printed books and a vast collection of e-books spanning 30 different disciplines, Mr Usman added.

The Lahore Museum Library was established in 1894, along with the foundation of the museum, in a single room with a small number of collections. Over time, the library has grown significantly.

Mr Usman explained that the museum’s antiquities range from prehistoric times to the modern period, encompassing the history of Muslim India and the Sikh period. The library’s stock includes antiquarian journals and valuable books on art, history, oriental languages, and other related subjects. It serves as a research library not only for the museum but also for scholars and researchers. Several notable people from Lahore have donated their valuable collections to the museum library, including retired Col Khawaja Abdul Rashid, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mehr, Dr Muhammad Baqir, Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj, and Dr Abdus Salam Khurshid.

Mr Usman said that since the establishment of the Museum Library, it has followed official timings for opening and closing, operating from Monday to Friday. The library used to remain closed on weekends. However, as of March 2023, the library’s timings have changed, and it now remains open for 12 hours daily from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, Saturday to Thursday. The library is closed only on Fridays.

The library maintains a diverse collection covering various subjects, with a special focus on the Subcontinent. It includes materials on museology, culture and civilization, ethnography, anthropology, architecture, coins, archaeology, history, arts and crafts, and conservation.

One notable aspect of the library is its special collection, which includes old newspapers from the pre-Partition era of the Subcontinent, important reference books, and rare collections printed in the 19th century. The library also possesses a rich collection related to South Asian history, with rare journals and newspapers like the daily Zamindar and daily Inqalab. These materials not only support research but also contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage and play a significant role in fostering national consciousness.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023