Promoting reading habit: Speakers call for setting up more public libraries

Asian libraries conference was organised by the Pakistan Library Association

Speakers at a two-day conference of Asian libraries held here urged the government and philanthropists to help in setting up maximum number of libraries in Pakistan to promote book reading culture.

Describing books as the main source of knowledge and conducting research at the higher education level, they said the new generation’s links and love with books must be promoted.

It is imperative for developing a healthy and civilised society, they said.

The conference was organised by the Pakistan Library Association in collaboration with Department of Libraries Government of Punjab and the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).

Addressing the concluding session, AIOU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that they would activate their libraries at 44-regional centers across Pakistan to promote book reading habit.

Other speakers including the association’s President Syed Ghayoor Shah and Muhammad Jawwad of the AIOU’s Library and Information Science Department called for working out joint strategies for migration from print to digital contents as well as preservation of the digital resources.

There is also a need to strike a balance between intellectual property rights and easy access to digital resources, they added.

The Asian libraries conference was first of its kind in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2016.