Libraries versus AI

Academic excellence was never about shortcuts; it was about the quiet labour of research. Scholars who spent long hours tracing ideas through books emerged with clarity, depth and a rational voice in any argument. That kind of learning grew in the company of libraries — the dependable treasure troves where knowledge waited patiently for those willing to search for it.

It wasn't long ago that students still filled libraries, dipping their minds into books, widening their understanding and exchanging thoughts in the company of scholars and fellow readers. Those gatherings enriched perspectives and grounded learning in human conversation — something no screen can replicate.

But this culture is slipping away. With the rise of AI tools offering immediate answers, the physical effort that once disciplined learners is fading. The habit of searching shelves, taking notes and piecing together arguments is increasingly being replaced by digital applications.

The Shahnawaz Bhutto Memorial Library, established in 1975 and named after Shahnawaz Bhutto, is more than just an old building with shelves of books. For Larkana, it has quietly shaped a generation of dreamers who had nothing but determination in their pockets. It was once believed that the most powerful revolutions happen in silence — at wooden desks, under lights and between pages worn thin by hope.

For thousands of underprivileged students across the district, this library has been a ladder. Many of the officers now serving in the bureaucracy, judiciary and various departments once sat here for hours, motivated not by privilege but by the belief that education could change their fate. Their stories begin not in drawing rooms, but in this public library.

Every dawn, long before the doors open, students from remote villages gather outside. They stand in queues with bags on their shoulders, waiting to secure a seat. Anyone passing by in the morning witnesses this scene: young people standing in long lines, determined not to lose a day of study. In these quiet queues, one can almost read the collective hunger for education.

Students come for research, for silence, for reliable shelves of knowledge, or simply for a desk where they can study without interruption — luxuries that many homes in rural Sindh cannot provide.

The collection inside the library tastes the diversity of its readers. Books on history, politics, sociology, science and literature line its shelves, with resources available in Sindhi, Urdu and English languages. A small children's corner introduces young readers to stories and learning, planting early seeds of curiosity.

Like most public institutions in Pakistan, our libraries are quietly fading into irrelevance. Students no longer treat them as sanctuaries of learning; instead, they are drawn to artificial intelligence, a tool that offers instant answers but rarely delivers understanding. Quick fixes replace the slow, steady cultivation of knowledge, and wisdom is sacrificed at the altar of convenience.

Every Saturday, the president of the Readers' Forum would invite officers who had once spent countless hours there. They returned not as distant officials, but as mentors, eager to share the stories behind their successes. They spoke of long days spent at those same desks, the obstacles they had faced and the role the library had played in preparing them for competitive exams.

Those weekly sessions became a source of motivation for countless students who dreamed of carving out similar careers. Listening to officers who had once walked the same aisles and faced the same challenges gave hope a tangible form. In those gatherings, success felt attainable — not because it was easy, but because it had been achieved within the very walls of the library.

This library is not just a building. It is a living archive of hopes, a sanctuary for those who refuse to let poverty determine their destiny.

The future of this institution depends on its readers. Whether they visit daily to thirst its purpose or abandon its desks and books in favour of digital tools like AI, chatbots and Gimmeny — which provide information without understanding or wisdom — the library's value hinges on human engagement.