Sandwip Public Library needs renovation : Initiatives by Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal leaders to bring back readers
Badal Roy Shadin, Sandwip ( Chittagong)
There is a public library in Sandwip, but no readers as the public library of the Zilla Parishad located in the Sandwip Upazila Parishad premises is in a dilapidated condition.
The bookshelves inside the building, which has no nameplates and no paint, are mostly empty of books, although there are some old bound books, most of them are unreadable.
On the other hand, the negligence of the authorities is increasing day by day due to the lack of readers. Therefore, the environment where readers can sit and read books has been ruined. The reading tables and the entire library have become messy. The glass of the reception is also in a fragile condition. On the other hand, the absence of subject-based books for students studying in educational institutions or schools and colleges is failing to attract ordinary students. In 2006, when some complications arose over the election of the committee of this public library, the then executive officer Pranab Kumar Ghosh announced that it would be managed by the district council from then on to avoid complications. Since then, locals, poets, writers, cultural activists and journalists have not turned their backs on this library. Since then, there is no more reader presence in this library. Now some government officials sit there temporarily to read newspapers or browse books as a hobby. Readers who come from outside regret seeing this plight and return.
After almost 20 years, to improve this dilapidated condition and to make people more library-oriented, many Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal leaders sat for a discussion in the said public library under the leadership of former Chhatra Dal and current Jubo Dal leader Nijhum Khan. Sitting there, they decided to approach the Upazila Executive Officer to expedite the renovation of the library and ensure that the number of books and daily newspapers are kept there. Along with this, they are encouraging Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, school and college students and cultural workers to come there and read books to increase the number of readers and they also decided to run various campaigns for that. Jubo Dal leader Nijhum Khan said that if we Chhatra Dal workers ourselves go to the library, we will be able to know the party ideology and history, then we will be able to give speeches in meetings and seminars and influence others to create party workers.
In this regard, some cultural workers said that there are many complaints from readers about not getting enough books in the public library and not modernizing it. Because many people feel hesitant to read books in the open reading room of the public library. If 2/3 reading rooms were made with partitions, the number of readers would have increased. That would create an opportunity to read while maintaining a distance between older readers and teenagers. On the other hand, if it was managed by cultural workers, various literary discussions and reading circles would be held there. Only cultural workers can keep the library alive. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to reintroduce the election system and form a full committee.
The complaints of the students include not getting books as per the requirement, insufficiency of newly published necessary books and the library is losing its appeal due to the old management system.
They say, suppose the book I am looking for is not available. But there is a matter of searching here. The rule of searching for books in an advanced public library is to search for it by looking at the book list on the search computer. But here there is no such system, after being closed all day, it may open at a specific time. Even if it is open, there are no people. Moreover, we have not yet been given a library card, so we cannot read books (from home). If the authorities ensure that, the number of readers can increase.
On the other hand, what are the authorities doing to bring back reluctant readers to the library? They will have to try to increase the reading habit that people still have.
