British Council's digital library is a one stop portal for book enthusiasts

When I was in the third grade, I visited my school library for the very first time. I was slightly hesitant at first, but I soon found myself spending hours every day in the welcoming, cosy space where I was surrounded by books. It was here that I discovered the magical world of Roald Dahl. However, growing up in Karachi, the dearth of libraries and community spaces became glaringly obvious.

Libraries encourage and foster art, culture, literature and creativity in communities. However, unfortunately, at a time when there is significant demand for community spaces in the city, our libraries are hushed spaces that are few in number, with outdated or locked away resources, suffering from years of neglect.

Last year, much to my delight, I discovered that the British Council libraries had re-opened in Karachi and Lahore after a period of 15 years! I signed-up and became one of its first members. I was back in the cosy cocoon I had made for myself in school, only now I no longer had to sit quietly in a corner in fear of the strict librarian. It was bright and buzzing with energy. I spotted books and resources I could not find anywhere else in Karachi. In fact, I have never seen a graphic novel collection quite like the one I found here. I was so enthralled by interactive touch table in the middle of the library that I had to physically pulled away.



One of the perks of being a member of the library is its digital library which can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Scrolling through, I was absolutely ecstatic to see that besides eBooks, audio-books, newspapers and magazines, there were a bunch of comics, movies, games, how-to videos and JSTOR! If you have been to university and worked on research papers, you will know the value of JSTOR. British Council's digital library gives you  unlimited access to more than 2,000 JSTOR resources.




They are also exploring new ways of reaching their customers through pop-up libraries at Pakistani literature festivals, book fairs, universities and colleges where they don’t have a physical library. They are partnering with Bank Alfalah to equip various cities with  digital library walls that will allow users to download books using QR codes.



British Council library is still accepting applications for its membership. You can start the simple process right away. All you need to do is visit the website and book a library tour for yourself by selecting the membership package of your choice. When you visit the Karachi or Lahore library for a tour, you should fill a form to get your library card instantly.

In an increasingly digital world, where it seems our primary relationship is with the screen of our smartphone or laptop, libraries are still customer-friendly places where individuals of all ages can gather to explore, interact and create. I love the convenience, quality and ease of access a digital library provides. Despite that, you will find me surrounded by books, enjoying the company of  library patrons because I am old fashioned.



To learn more about the British Council library visit here.