Sec 34 library has never stopped evolving

Charu Chhibber

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 13

Conventionally, libraries provided no-cost access to books and a quiet place to read. But most of today’s public libraries have taken on newer roles.

Apart from assuming a hybrid avatar to keep pace with the ever-changing trends in technology, they are also offering programs to hone 21st-century skills, imperative to success in today’s world. And State Divisional Library in Sector 34, Chandigarh, is one such place.

Established in 1995 with a few books borrowed from TS Central State Library, Sector 17, Chandigarh, and 583 members, the library today has over 1.35 lakh hard copies, 50 lakh e-books, 3,000 CDs and 22,000 members.

The library offers free wi-fi and computers to all its members in research and reading rooms. All operations are digitised. There is an average footfall of 2,500-3,000 users daily. The average issue/return of books and consultation is 2,500 per day.

Library in-charge Parveen Khuarana says, “The existence of libraries is not threatened. Our growing membership is testimony.”

He concedes a majority of visitors are aspirants of various competitive exams while other members include housewives, retired personnel, government officials, students, children and their parents.

The library owns a blog which can be accessed by all members. It has 24 lakh e-books that can be downloaded and read at no cost, and their format can be changed from PDF to mp3 and audio. There are journals, newspapers and magazines, and research works of major universities from around the world, sample test papers for aspirants of major competitive examinations – all at a click of a mouse. Apart from that, all library-related announcements are made through social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

The State Library Planning Committee is headed by the Education Secretary, Chandigarh Administration, and takes care of selection of books for the library, keeping in mind the demand of the readers.

Khurana informs that the library runs workshops and seminars on a variety of topics of readers’ interests. These range from English language club, story-telling, creative writing, to seminars on understanding the nuances of the RTI, and workshops on how to crack competitive examination, dance, music among others. The library also holds blood donation camps.

Niharika, a library member, said “The internet provides information in a fraction of a second but fails to stimulate the mind like books do. The understanding that one gets from searching and researching through books is something no other medium can afford or offer.”

Another member Sahil, a Law graduate from Panjab University, said “It is the ambience of a reading room that attracts him to the library every evening. The internet will never be able to provide the pleasure that I get out of reading from a book.”