Amritsar: District public library makes education accessible to all

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Amritsar, January 21

With online studies now becoming a norm with colleges and schools being shut due to Covid-19, students from rural areas are yet again facing the challenge of accessing online learning without disruption. And in this endeavor, public libraries seem to be the most important link.

District library, which has now been shifted to the administrative building, has been filling-up the absence of public libraries in rural areas, providing online learning access and literature to students preparing for competitive exams and otherwise. Library education has been promoted in the previous year among school and colleges students from border rural population, who do not have proper internet access. But lack of infrastructure, has once again become the biggest hurdle.

“A lot of students from rural areas travel to city to make use of our library for literature and online facilities. We have created a bank of educative and academic content for students, who do not have any library nearby. But the discourse has been disrupted as power connection to the library remains suspended ever since the shift from old premises at Rani ka Bagh three months back,” said Prabhjot Sandhu, district librarian. She said many students, who are regular members and visitors to the library, have been facing the problem of having access to learning material online due to no power and reading room facilities too have been hit.

“There is only one public library in the district with online learning facility and access to e-books and rural areas too do not have any other library where students can go. With schools and colleges closed again, it is important to keep them connected to reading and provide learning material that they need. Many had struggled with education in these conditions; everyone understood the importance of free public library. But without power, that benefit is denied,” she said. Understanding the challenge of not having public libraries with adequate learning material to help children in rural areas, FICCI FLO’s city chapter too has come forward with a collaboration with the Local Police Department and volunteers to set up small public libraries. These libraries will be set up in different villages and in city, equipped with a computer and other requirements.

“During the pandemic, many have realised how public libraries have become a valuable resource centre, especially for the marginalised section of the society. Not many schools across the rural border belt have libraries and even so, with educational institutions now closed, they cannot have access to them. In such a scenario, public libraries can become learning centres for students and people of all ages,” said Manjot Dhillon, chairperson, FICCI FLO, Amritsar.