KARACHI: Bureaucratic culture of government departments overwhelmingly dominated public places like libraries. Liaquat Memorial Library is public library on Stadium Road, but its administration seems just being ruled by three-four peons employed by government.

Informed sources told that Muhammad Arshad Patoli Director (Libraries) Sindh seems to be busy welcoming various dignitaries to fill up his Facebook pages on social media by placing photographs of their visits but practically he is failed to maintain decorum and actual role of decent library. Public visitors are devastated when they come to know that all 150,000 or so books were locked away on second floor of building with no public access. Largest library in city and nobody is allowed to browse through it.

According to record, this is largest reference library where people come to collect knowledge from all new and old reference books. But irony is that after 2 pm you can’t benefit from it just because lack of any attendants there, while official timings of library are fixed up to 9 pm. This responsibility lies, almost completely, with administrators of such libraries who are either completely unaware of roles libraries can play or are bureaucratically pressured to take steps that lead to preventing people from fully enjoying this treasure. National Library of Pakistan was established in 1951. In year 1954, Liaquat Memorial Library was declared legal depository under Copyright Law. This library continued to function as National Library until 1986. Over short span of few years, library has acquired numerous collections through purchases, copyright deposits, gifts, exchanges and donations. Library has total holding of 150,000 volumes (73,000 English and European Languages, 40,000 Oriental Languages).

Library has the biggest collection among public libraries in country. Liaquat Memorial Library holds thousands of volumes of books and other reading materials. Library is intended to be reference library for all purposes, working place for scholars, postgraduate students of social sciences and humanities, and repository of nationally published literature for future historians.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 25 2023

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