Lincoln Corner opens up at Liaquat Memorial Library

KARACHI: A space for educational learning re-opened its doors for Karachiites as the Karachi Lincoln Corner was inaugurated by the US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale, alongside Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah at Liaquat Memorial Library on Tuesday afternoon.

Previously located at Rangoonwala, but shut down later, the corner offers a children’s space, meeting room, computer facilities, a performance area and a collection of books, magazines and DVDs.

The Lincoln Corner has been named after the 16th US president Abraham Lincoln, a leader who promoted the values of equality among people, said Hale, while giving a background behind the name of the corner.

“This is a vibrant space, serving not only as a centre of learning but also for dialogue and creative thinking, where Karachiites can contribute through interaction,” said Hale, claiming it to be a ‘flagship space’.



“It is a great honour to have the chief minister with us,” said the US envoy.

Hale reiterated the work of leaders such as US president Barack Obama and Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif in their mission to invest in educational opportunities for the youth.

As many as 150 students from Pakistan will travel to US on a Fulbright programme this year, said Hale.

“Thousands of hours were spent taking care of minute details to make this corner functional,” said Pak-American Cultural Centre executive-director Arshad Nadeem in his speech.

The place is focused towards constructive learning of US education, lifestyle and activities, he said, adding that the corner will be a huge online resource, providing an educational centre for many young students.

“I am happy that this place is now open. It is certainly a big step,” said Liaquat Memorial Library director Bashir Abro, detailing that the library that stocks around 200,000 books (10,000 of which are rare), entertains approximately a 1,000 students daily. Around 25 libraries are present throughout Sindh with 12 of them working very actively in promoting educational needs of the youth, he said.

“We plan to have more libraries at the union council level to enhance reading habits,” said Abro, adding that there is a dire need for promoting a reading culture in our society. “I see the youth taking notes from their own books rather than using the reference books placed in this library,” he said, stating that this should not be the case.



Moreover, Abro urged the US Embassy to help save the archival material present in the library for future generations by maintaining the material online.

Talking to the media outside the premises, the CM praised the efforts of the US government in opening up the Lincoln Corner at the Liaquat Memorial Library in Karachi and hoped it would boost the cultural ties of the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2016.