Punjabi University's 5-day book fair a big draw

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 25

Books published by Punjabi University’s publication bureau in the 1970s and 1980s are available for purchase at the university’s five-day book fair. The fair will conclude on Saturday.

The fair is registering an average sale of books worth Rs 25 lakh per day. The books include about 4,000 old and rare books, rediscovered after nearly three decades. The old books were damaged during the 1993 floods and were discarded at one of the stores on the campus, only to be rediscovered in June this year. Most of them are tattered and termite ridden.

Head of the university’s publication bureau Surjeet Singh said, “The old books are of high importance to researchers and readers. They were written by noted historians and have a distinct readership. Rather than discarding them, we decided to display them public.”

He added that the university is selling books worth Rs 25 lakh daily. “This includes over 4,000 old books as well. The fair has also washed away a perception that the youngsters lack interest in reading.”

The old books available at discounted rates with a minimum price of Rs 10.

Over 80 publishers are taking part in the eighth annual book fair.

The university is planning to store its publications in a digitised format.

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