Kashmir’s libraries have to offer more than new magazines and old books to pull in interested readers
Declining reading culture affects attendance at libraries in Kashmir
Farzana Syed (Kashmir Images)
Srinagar: The public libraries in the Valley are witnessing a continuous decline in the number of visitors although there has been some increase in hr number of libraries.
Experts believe that the decline in the number of the library visitors is due to the decline in the reading culture and availability of other alternatives like internet to the people.
The library officials at various libraries say they don’t receive even an average number of the visitors which they directly attribute to the declining reading habits among the people.
The chief librarian of the Allama Iqbal Library at University of Kashmir, Riyaz Rufai says, “With easy access to the computers and the internet people prefer surfing the net which they could do anywhere” – at home, office or even sitting in a garden. “This is perhaps less cumbersome and that’s why it’s preferred over visiting the libraries”.
Rufai also feels that the library systems all need to be quite advanced and updated as per the requirements of the people. “The libraries should upgrade and update themselves as per the needs of the readers so that the readers find them reasonably exploitable. The library staff also should be qualified enough to cater to the readers’ needs reasonably well.”
As per the varsity library officials, the Allama Iqbal Library is the only library that gets somewhat handsome chunk of readers. However, they too point out that students visit libraries mostly when the exams are around or underway.
Talking to ‘Kashmir Images’ many of the university students and scholars said that other than the university’s central library, they don’t even know about the existence of other public libraries.
“I visit only Allama Iqbal Library because it has got many facilities available for the students and it is updated as well,” said a student.
Out of the 77 libraries present in the Valley, only the Central Library and the SPS Library of the Department of Libraries have got the internet facility, while all other public libraries throughout the Valley ate without the facility.