Volunteers launch public library to benefit students
Sher Alam Shinwari
PESHAWAR: A group of young volunteers has recently opened a public library in the main Landikotal Bazar to revive and promote reading habit among students and common readers at large. The library is in need of books, mats, book shelves and other facilities to accommodate students and participants.
Earlier the said group had launched study circle sessions where students and book lovers showed up on Sundays and discussed several topics but later, the young volunteers decided to open a public library for the purpose to widen the scope of their positive activities.
Yousaf Baheer, a young poet and chief of the young volunteers group, while sharing his views told this scribe that three months ago, he and his colleagues had conducted a study circle on how to create public awareness regarding the reading habit among our young students and after several such events, it was finally decided to launch a public library where many activities could be conducted.
“We are yet to have contact with local administration, public representatives, local elders and well-off people to extend help to our group in the shape of books, and other paraphernalia required for a modern day library including Wi-Fi facility, LED or plasma screen, book shelves and solar panels. We want to provide digital facility to students for online classes and also want to get connected to online libraries,” he added.
Mr Baheer said that the main objective behind their plan was to revive and promote reading habit among students, adding that students had lost taste for reading books owing to their sticking up to mobile sets or social media which he said most often being used not for fruitful and productive purposes.
“We have opened the first ever public library in the main Landikotal Bazar on rent of Rs 6,000 per month and our friends currently contribute to it but we have a proper plan to maintain the library on modern lines where we would be able to conduct several kinds of literary debates and public campaign for instance we would invite experts to educate students on many public health, climate change and other social issues,” Mr Baheer elaborated.
Prof Tawab Shah Masroor, a local poet, while giving remarks pointed out that opening a library was a commendable job and every possible assistance should be extended to the group of volunteers, arguing that such healthy deeds in the area would help young students to keep themselves away from many negative and anti-social activities.
“Books on almost all kinds of topics would be available in Pashto, Urdu and English where students would be motivated to have public reading sessions and then share views on it and others would be encouraged to present critical review of any bestselling book to promote reading habit,” Yousaf Baheer concluded.
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