| 15 years on; Library runs from private accommodation, sans infrastructure | | State Govt indifferent to district library Jammu | | GS Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 30: The decline in the number of readers in libraries could be attributed to insensitivity on part of state government which has failed to provide infrastructure and other facilities to district libraries.
Same is the case with district library Jammu which has been running in a rented accommodation for the last 15 years besides san proper infrastructure.
Moreover, in the last 15 years, DL Jammu has been shifted in three different locations of the city, firstly it was running in Nanak Nagar area, then shifted to Channi Himmat and now has been running from Kala Kendra Jammu, due to which the number of regular readers has declined abruptly.
Source in the department, wishing anonymity informed Early Times that in the beginning when the library achieved the status of district library same has been running from a private building and Ministry concerned seemed unbothered about the matter.
He further said, "Our department has frequently apprised the higher officials and Ministry concerned but every time our appeal letters were dumped somewhere in dustbin", adding that after the invention of new media and technology the library department has been facing very tough time to attract the new readers, who got news, information, knowledge of books from their mobile phones.
He further said that as the government has shown negligence to set up own building, it was difficult to keep number of readers intact.
Gurbinder Singh (70), resident of Nanak Nagar told Early Times that he was a regular reader of English newspapers and had been spending nearly three hours in the DL Jammu but the library was shifted from Nanak Nagar to Channi Himmat and now in Kala Kendra.
Another reader, Pardeep Sharma said that after superannuation library was the best place for senior citizens to spend time and for exchanging ideas but the insensitivity on part of government has been pushing the libraries towards closure.
When this correspondent contacted to In-charge District Library Jammu, Shahid Hussain said that for last many years due to lack of permanent infrastructure, they have been facing hardships.
"If we will have some permanent place and infrastructure, the readers' number would have shown positive trend but same has been showing negative trend", he said.
He further said that after complete establishment of library in Kala Kendra building, he would personally visit Polytechnic college to attract new readers.
"This should be the permanent accommodation for library", he said. |
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