Punjab Govt Library in Shambles

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Chandigarh September 13:

The library of Punjab Government, which is located in the seat of power-Secretariat-is faced with not only staff crunch to keep books and other documents in place, but also of the visitors. The library hardly attracts any visitors, which is perhaps the only reason why dust has settled on book shelves.

Lack of staff and no reader is the condition of Punjab Government Library located in the Secretariat. Library is seeking for a reestablishment. Its condition is telling by itself when one visit into it. The library is seeking for a proper staff so that they could upkeep the things existing inside.

One can estimate the condition by knowing that library do not have a certain Librarian who can handle the library. It comprises only an assistant and a peon who are handling from the past several years. Library is located on the fifth floor of the Punjab secretariat where Punjab Government Public Relation (PRO) Department is also present. “Several IAS officers are also sitting at this floor but no one has the time to have a look on the library,” said the sources in the secretariat.
“From the past decade no Minister or even a senior officer of Punjab Government would come to visit the library. No book has been issued to any Minister or officer for a long time,” he told reporters with the condition of anonymity. Describing the worse condition of library he further stated that books are packed in the cupboards for past several years. However, library is enriching with several old book also those are very helpful for the readers.
Encyclopedias in Hindi and English, Punjabi Books and particular subject related books are also present in the Library. Unfortunately there are books who are seeking for readers. Several books are lying in the open and most of them have also gone devastated. Bundles of old books and newspaper are also lay on the cupboard that showing the library is also seeking for the proper space.

Now days only newspaper works are being done at the library. Newspapers are distributed from the there to various staff and departments of Punjab Government. Thousands of books and more than 50 cupboards exist in the library. But the existing staff members are only two who are handling the library. Sources disclosed that at around ten years back Government library was comprised with a certain librarian and mare than six staff members.

One of the official commented that it’s no use of library in the world of internet and web. Today most many of us are depend on world information sites to sort out the any query about any subject. The reason was given for not providing a proper infrastructure to the library is that since there are no readers and no visitors come in the library so it’s no use to deploy the staff there, said the official of Punjab Government.

The secretariat staff disclosed that up keeping the books and regular maintenance of library is stopped due to the proposal of renovation of the fifth floor which is waiting for the green signal by the Government.
 
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