“BOOKS are the carriers of civilisation. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. They are engines of change, windows on the world, lighthouses erected in the sea of time.” This famous quote is attributed alternatively to Arthur Schopenhauer and Barbara W. Tuchman. Whosoever it was, these words hit the bullseye.

But the pace at which technology is replacing the physical books the day may come soon, as fear many, when libraries with physical books would become a relic and all reading material would be displaced by books in electronic forms or heaven knows in what formats. Well, maybe. But in a country like ours where power supply leaves much to be desired and online connectivity is, at best, erratic, the idea of digital libraries issuing e-books online seems a distant dream. Meanwhile, some peaceful, spotless and well-managed islands of wisdom offer much to the readers and researchers: to touch, feel, smell, hold, cherish and read books — the actual, physical books. One such blissful refuge is called Quaid-i-Azam Library. Situated at Lahore’s Mall Road and surrounded by lush Lawrence Gardens, renamed as Bagh-i-Jinnah, the library offers an atmosphere and facilities that make it a favourite place for book lovers.

The awe-inspiring building of the library, built in 1866, was first used as Lahore Gymkhana. After 1970, it was used as civil service academy for a couple of years. In 1981, the Punjab government decided to turn it into a library and Quaid-i-Azam Library was officially inaugurated on Dec 25, 1984. Today its treasures include over 150,000 holdings including books, periodicals and some rare works, on a vast range of disciplines. Special collections on certain subjects, such as, Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mirza Ghalib, Urdu as Official Language, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, Zafar Ali Khan and Mushfiq Khwaja, offer much to the researchers. Recently, in collaboration with the US embassy, a Lincoln Corner was added.

Special sections for periodicals, audio-visual facilities, textbooks and children’s books are what attracts readers from different sections of the society. What is often ignored is that Quaid-i-Azam Library offers a wonderful opportunity for use of internet and digital research database through its e-Learning Section. Some well-lit, grand halls, named after Jinnah, Sir Syed and Moulvi Abdul Haq, offer a peaceful atmosphere right in Lahore’s noisy centre. Library publishes the half-yearly Urdu research journal Makhzan. As part of its cultural and literary programme, seminars, book fairs and literary gatherings take place at library’s premises.

Though an imposing facade of its 19th-century colonial building might deter some shy entrants from venturing into the glittering, majestic reading halls, Quaid-i-Azam Library opens its arms to anyone who seeks knowledge. Of late, some readers have been complaining that the membership has been made limited through stringent criteria. But Kashif Manzoor, the director general, informed this writer that in fact the criterion has been relaxed and now any graduate can become a member, whereas in past it was restricted to master’s degree holders. As a result, the membership has now increased to over 81,000. Manzoor said the issue was that a large number of readers arrive at the library every day and halls are absolutely jam-packed. So, accommodating additional readers is simply not possible as the library has a seating capacity of 500.

Lahore has a huge populace and one feels the answer is simply creating some more libraries where students as well as general readers can enjoy reading in a quiet atmosphere with same facilities. Interestingly, Kashif Mnazoor, as director general of Public Libraries, has been working on establishing new libraries and so far, five new libraries have been set up in different cities of Punjab, namely Kasur, Lahore, Hazro, Layyiah and Muzaffargarh. In collaboration with the jail authorities, Manzoor is establishing libraries in prisons to facilitate the inmates.

Library’s recent publication, a book titled A Visual Chronicle of Quaid-i-Azam Library: Heritage and Facilities, captures the essence of library’s history and the facilities offered here. Lahore’s Quaid-i-Azam Library is truly a beacon of hope as education and research is what can make this country prosper and progress. But every city of the country deserves such institutions.

The question is: what about country’s largest city? When will Karachiites get a library like Lahore’s Quaide-i-Azam Library? How about establishing grand libraries at Lyari, Keamari, Surjani Town, Gadap and many other Karachi localities where a huge population has been waiting for modern libraries and reading rooms to be set up?

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2025