Public libraries struggling to survive
Hyderabad: The 110 employees of 86
libraries in Hyderabad are yet to receive their salaries for June and July. In
some of the area libraries, the librarian never turns up. Fazal Mohammed, a
reader from area public library, Barkas said, “A sweeper opens the library.
There are hardly any magazines and none to prepare for competitive exams.”
Hyderabad Grandhalaya Samstha, which
maintains the libraries, is hard pressed for funds. The Greater Hyderabad
municipal Corporation (GHMC) pays just Rs 12 lakh per month which is spent to
pay electricity bills, paper bills and day-to-day maintenance. Raju, secretary,
City Central Library said, “The salaries are paid when we receive the grant
which is once in three months. There is little we can do for developmental
activities.”
The Hyderabad Grandhalaya Samstha
needs about Rs 8 lakh for salaries, which includes 160 pensioners. The
non-payment of library cess of 8 per cent which the GHMC collects from citizens
to the Samstha has been a raging issue.
Several libraries like the ones at AC
Guards, Chanchalguda and Muradnagar have been closed down. Three mobile libraries,
which have been abandoned, are rusting. A majority of the area public libraries
are housed in old buildings where the roofs leak and structures are
unsafe.Venkateshwar Reddy, a librarian, does not agree that readership is on
the wane.
He said, “A lot of students preparing
for competitive exams make use of the libraries. Only if we get enough grants
the area libraries can be developed.” However, the reality is that no one
expects things to get better or even to stop getting worse.
A retired professor of English, A V K
Murthy said, “Technology and economics are causing a death knell of public
libraries. Let’s face it and not wallow in old fashioned nostalgic notions. The
only way the public libraries can make a comeback is by going digital.”
In 2013, the government came up with
an idea to set up what it called Book Deposit Centres (BDC) in government
schools and 200 schools were also identified but due to the lack of funds, the
idea never took off.
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
Upcoming
Events | BOSLA-NIFT ANNUAL LECTURE SERIES-2016 on Saturday,
20th August 2016 at 10.00 hrs in National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kharghar, Navi
Mumbai.
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