Rotary Darakhshan, LPB call to develop reading culture in Pakistan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top functionaries of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), who jointly organized a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30, have called for developing reading culture in the country in order to keep pace with the times. 

“Whatever the circumstances or no matter how long this pandemic stays, we have to devise a strategy whereas people have the tools to access information so that they are not left behind in competing with those living in other parts of the world,” Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, reckoned. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Founder President of LPB, did not mince words in stating that the government should do much more in engaging the masses into reading, suggesting that the improvement of public libraries and school libraries was the best way to do it. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, pointed out that COVID-19 crisis has acted as a point of inflection for the shift from conventional libraries to e-libraries during lockdown as people had surplus time at their disposal and quest for knowledge increased during this period. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a stalwart in the profession of library and information science, regretted the closing of e-libraries in Punjab at a time when rest of the world was busy in creating more digital facilities for its people. She urged for the development of libraries, also providing books at doorstep to the readers. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, spoke about the multiple social problems having been caused by the closure of public libraries in the developed countries during the lockdown period. He stressed for better coordination and networking between the various stakeholders for developing library culture in Pakistan.

Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB, in his introductory remarks, spoke about the need to develop software for online content to be made available in Urdu and other regional languages for the benefit of the masses while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, in his closing comments, described books as the best companion for mankind. 

The programme was organized by RCKD, Rotary International had designated the month of September for basic education and literacy.