The closure of bookstores and libraries is lamentable; it is a closure of peaceful minds.
LAHORE: International Literacy Day is observed on September 8 around the world. People observe this day to raise awareness about basic literacy. I have seen officials of the National Book Foundation and library associations delivering lectures aimed at promotiing book culture.
Sadly enough, I read your thought-provoking editorial of September 9, “Death of a bookstore”. I personally feel that this is not the death of books but it is of minds.
A disturbing wake-up call for all of us as a nation. Unfortunately, we belong to a Third-World country where the majority of people have to toil hard to obtain basic necessities of life. The most important thing is, as a nation, our attitudes and priorities matter. We love to spend money on luxuries; leisure time in gossips and following technological advancements blindly just for the sake amusement. Information in any form can be useful either in printed books or e-books but this is not the right time for adoption of only information technology in our libraries or educational institutions. We are already facing energy crisis — is it possible for us to use technology effectively in these times of crisis?
The closure of bookstores and libraries is lamentable; it is a closure of peaceful minds. It’s true no nation can ever prosper without inculcating the reading habit in its youth. Childhood is a golden period for developing reading habit among children. But unluckily our educational system does not support the culture of libraries that can help in the promotion of reading.
This is the right time to take necessary steps for the survival of books and reading culture. Society as a whole and educational institutions need to take practical steps in this regard. The government and library associations can do a lot towards this end. They can help revive the dying reading culture in our society.
Amna Farzand Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.
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