MULTAN, Jan 26: The Bahauddin Zakariya University has formally begun its first-ever library week in the university's 30-year history with an objective to reinvigorate libraries' role in research and knowledge-seeking activities.

The library week is jointly organized by the departments of English, and Library and Information Sciences. According to a press release issued by the university, the students and teachers would be enlightened on how to develop strong relation with books and other means of information and knowledge during the week-long activity.

During the inaugural ceremony, faculty of arts and social sciences dean Dr Shahnawaz Malik expressed concern over deserted libraries in the country. He said libraries in developed countries were playing a pivotal role in economic and social growth of their societies. Although people in Pakistan were equally talented, yet they must establish a strong bond with libraries to make full use of their abilities.

BZU library committee chairman Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal stressed the need to take advantage of information technology in extracting benefits from the libraries, as the IT revolution had also changed the culture of libraries. A film was screened on Wednesday highlighting methods to derive maximum benefit from libraries.

Lectures on extracting information from database sponsored by the Higher Education Commission and Newspaper Index Database would also be delivered by the experts during the week. The concluding session would be presided over by BZU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Karamat Ali on Jan 29.

ACQUITTED: Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanaullah Niazi has acquitted a nine-year-old boy of murder. According to the prosecution, the accused had stabbed eight-year-old Imran with a scissor over a kite-flying dispute on Nov 18, 2003.