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| Library reading rooms in capital still without electricity |
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Thursday, November 05, 2009
Islamabad
Islamabad Community Libraries, commonly known as reading rooms, set up in different sectors of federal capital are still without electricity for the last one year.
Six libraries, established by Libraries Department of Ministry of Education in G-7, G-8, I-8, I-10, G-11 and F-11 sectors, bring back to the memories of Stone Age when readers utilize daylight to quench their thirst for knowledge.
All the necessary equipments were installed in these libraries and sufficient books, magazines and other reading stuff were put in place for inculcating reading habits among the people. The staff was also deputed in the libraries and the visitors used to come on regular basis.
An official of Libraries Department told APP that the payments for installation of transformers as well as electricity connections in all these libraries were made to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) in 2007. “We have held several meetings with the officials of Iesco during the whole year and the request has been sent to the Ministry of Water and Power in writing for providing electricity but they have not responded”, the official said. “Iesco authorities satisfy us every time, saying that they will install transformers and meters in one or two days but never fulfilled their commitments”, he said In response to our frequent demand, they have installed transformers in only two of the libraries but no meters are provided yet.
The reading rooms looked like haunted houses especially after sunset, he said. Among six, four of the reading rooms of F-11, G-7, G-8, I-8 sectors were set up before one year and the remaining two in G-11 and 1-10 were made functional two months ago.
The visitors were reluctant to come into the libraries especially in summer as they had to bear heat and suffocation inside the room while reading the books, the official said. To save people from heat during summer, the timings to visit reading rooms were divided in morning and evening shifts. With the advent of winter, days become short and visitors find less time to read the books during daytime, he said.
The libraries department desired to convert these libraries into digital ones and acquired the computers and other equipments but it seems difficult to materialize this dream, he said.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
