Rafiullah Mandokhail
Zhob
Despite the emerging technologies, the importance of reading books can not be denied, but owing to lack of attention and financial problems public libraries always face numerous challenges. The situation in Balochistan is not different from rest of the country.
In order to promote book reading culture, a group of students in Zhob has adopted a unique method and started book collecting campaign in Zhob for the last one week. The campaign is aimed at maintaining the tradition of reading books.
The Imperial Library has been established in the city for those who are interested in book reading, particularly for those students who belong to hand-to-mouth families and can not afford the expenses of rental rooms for their studies.
The youth set up camps at various locations in the city to collect books from the people. The library administration says, so for 2000 different books have been donated for the library and now the three-day campaign has been started in the provincial capital Quetta.
Shehzad Khan, Muhammad Ilyas, Sabir Shah, Mehmood Khan, Mansoor Khan, Hazrat Shah and Mehboob Khan while talking to this scribe expressed hope that it will be the first digital public library of its kind in this remote region. Besides literature, book reading also plays vital role in promoting peace and tolerance in the society.
It is for the first time that a state-of-the-art public library has been established in the city. It is a place for books reading and it promotes book culture among young people,” they said.
Books and libraries have a great importance and a significant role in nation-building and put the country on the path to progress, the administration said.
“The Imperial Library has been established in the basement of a rented building that needs all facilities including furniture, laptops, UPS, photo copier machine, furniture, multimedia and digital dictionary,” they added.
The administration has demanded of the government and philanthropists to support and strengthen the library, so an environment conducive for learning and studying could be provided to the students and youth in this far-off region.