City administration to revive neglected libraries

The city administration on Thursday said the government-run libraries which had been neglected in the past would be revived.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani in his office.

The commissioners of the district municipal corporations, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation officials, the director of Liaquat National Library and representatives of different libraries, including Notre Dame Institute of Education, British Council and Alliance Française de Karachi, were present in the meeting.

The participants apprised the commissioner about the current condition of the libraries and then a council was formed to revive the libraries.

The British Council and Alliance Francaise would also work with the council to help improve the government-owned libraries.

It was pointed out that there were no signboards at the main roads for the guidance that could attract the people to visit the libraries.

Shallwani said even the Frere Hall library, which is a historical library and a significant part of our heritage, did not have any signboard.

He stressed the need for a central city public library that could meet the standard of a city library like everywhere else in the world. He said a public library in each town was very important so that common people could get benefit out of it.