Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: The Government of India has earmarked whopping Rs 5000 crores for the year 2023-24 for upgrading infrastructure in Public Libraries and extending Library facilities to the Gram Panchayat level across the country.
This was announced by Prof Ajay Pratap Singh, Director General, National Library of India (NLI) and Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) in his opening remarks at the two-day meeting of J&K UT-Level Library Advisory-cum-Purchase Committee (UTLLACPC) which began at SPS Library Complex here on Sunday.
Prof Singh said, it is for the first time, that such a huge amount has been earmarked, in one go, by the Government of India for upgrading library infrastructure in the States & UTs. He said extension of library facilities and taking the library movement to the grassroots level is aimed at facilitating improved access of the children and adolescents in the rural and semi-urban areas to the latest books and e-connecting them to the vast learning resources available through National Digital Library of India (NDLI).
Prof Singh said J&K’s Libraries Department should also explore the possibility of establishing decent reading spaces, in convergence with related departments, at the Public Parks, Gardens, along Jhelum River bank and around Dal Lake for tourists and morning walkers.
Earlier, welcoming the participants at the meeting, the Director, Libraries & Research, Mohammad Rafi gave an overview of the initiatives taken by the Department to upgrade the infrastructure in Public Libraries and provide best possible facilities to the library users.
UT-Level Library Advisory-cum-Purchase Committee discussed and approved various proposals put forth by the Director, Libraries and Research for upgradation and expansion of Public Library facilities in J&K. These include, Digitization of Libraries; establishment of theme-based Libraries-cum-Reading Centres at tourist resorts, setting up of dedicated Reading Areas for travellers at Srinagar & Jammu Airports, collaboration with School Education Department to organize free coaching of students for various competitive exams, organizing Book Fair at Srinagar and Jammu in collaboration with National Book Trust (NBT), setting up of “Book Village” at Aragam in District Bandipora as a joint initiative of the Department of Libraries & Research; District Administration Bandipora and Pune-based NGO “Sarhad”, setting up of Public Library-cum-Reading Room at Gandtal, Harwan under Aspirational Blocks Development Program (ABDP) in convergence with the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, extension of Internet facility to the Public Libraries at Tehsil & Block levels, weeding out of obsolete books & reference material for Competitive Examinations, write off the damaged/lost books, conservation of books & manuscripts, procurement of e-Books and making available more Online Services to the Library Users.
UTLLACPC approved the list of books under various categories to be purchased by the Department of Libraries & Research for its Libraries during the year 2023-24.
UTLLACPC members who attended the 4th meeting of the forum included Dr Arif, Dy Director, J&K Board of School Education; Saleem Pandit, Journalist; Satish Vimal, expert Hindi language; Liaqat Jafri, expert Urdu language; Ghulam Nabi Haleem, expert Kashmiri Language; Surinder Neer, expert Punjabi Language; Prof Parvez Majeed, Media Studies and Kulbushan Malhotra.
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