Quetta to get two more libraries within a month

CTSD official says the project will cost over Rs100 million

ISLAMABAD: Concerned over fading trend of book reading, the Cultural, Tourism and Sports Department (CTSD) of Quetta aims to establish two more libraries in the city to drag youth back to books.

Talking to APP on Tuesday, a CTSD official Jamil Baloch said three libraries were established last year while two new libraries would be opened in one month's time - one at Satellite Town and the other on Saryab Road.



"The project costing more than a hundred million rupees will help in increasing the literacy rate in Balochistan," he said, adding that libraries were a nursery that produced leaders, writers, scholars, philosophers and teachers “who serve the nation”.

While highlighting the importance of book reading, he said libraries would not only encourage book reading culture among youth but would also prove beneficial in their capacity building so that they could compete with students of other provinces in education.

The other three libraries are located at New Library and Computer Centre on Alamdar Road and Public Library, Research Centre on Spini Road and Quaid-e-Azam Library, Quetta, he said.

He said these libraries had the capacity to fulfil the need of Quetta's 30 million people.

"We aim to build more libraries in Quetta and at every district of Balochistan in order to eliminate illiteracy," he said. "Over the years libraries have been playing a crucial role in the ideological development of societies and also help in eliminating criminal and subversive activities."



 

Quaid-e-Azam Library senior librarian Muhammad Imran said, “The library was built previous year and has a capacity to accommodate 450 people but it receives more than a thousand visitors' daily, including students and researchers.”

He appreciated the move of establishing two new libraries in Quetta and suggested that “authorities must also build a separate section for children as provided by the Quaid-e-Azam Library to encourage the passion of book reading among them”.

Khadija Umar, a regular visitor at the library said she felt happy to see Baloch students taking keen interest in book reading.

"This will help groom students' skills. They will be able to effectively represent the country on international level," she said.