Public Libraries in Pakistan

A public library is a non-profit library maintained for public use and funded by the government or public sources. Unlike other libraries, it helps satisfy general public information needs by providing all kinds of knowledge and information available to all community segments regardless of race, national origin, age, gender, religion, and disability, economic, and employment status. Some libraries also provide other services to their communities, such as storytelling for children programs (and reading hours), language learning, and workshops, in addition to many other resources.

A public library is a community gathering space and research center. Unlike other libraries, a public library’s doors are open to everyone in the community regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion, or any other classification. It makes it more than just a place where one must pay before entering to read books that they have already bought. It is a place for all the friends and families to grow together spiritually, academically, and ethically in the knowledge that their beloved city is looking after them!

Libraries are some of the most important locations on the planet. In a world where information is accessible at anyone’s fingertips, libraries provide a place for learners to come together and share ideas. It’s the only place people can find books and other materials like magazines, audio, videotapes, or movies. Literacy rates in library communities have been shown to increase drastically over communities where reading is not an essential part of life.

Public libraries are a great place for residents to go and pursue hobbies they enjoy, learn more about their community, and spend time with loved ones. These libraries offer space for authors to come in, discuss literature related to various topics and find inspiration by hearing how others interpret books they love. Libraries are ideal places where people can read together or on their own – enjoying the comfort of fresh new pages or the cast-off pages of previous readers – whatever floats your boat!

Public libraries as a source of information and a place for knowledge creation are very important in people’s lives. Ideas, writing, and people come together to learn and improve themselves. They provide books and materials to help people learn, read, and enjoy literature. Throughout the years, public libraries have been seen as an educational resource for all members of their respective communities.

Wijetunge (2000) contends that public libraries contribute greatly to the learning process by serving as a cornerstone in helping people locate and access information related to their specific interests. Karunawathie (1998) illustrates how the community library has helped residents of Negombo with resources from a nearby fish cannery since most of the residents own boats and earn their living through fishing. Although public libraries contribute to lifelong learning by supporting learners in identifying and locating reading materials relevant to specific areas of their interest, readers may still be faced with impediments in their reading process because of insufficient quality resources.

Pakistan has the lowest literacy rates in the world and, as a result, is in desperate need of public libraries. Pakistan’s literacy rate is low even by developing country standards: roughly 37% (37%). Alarmingly, this number drops by 27% when considering only rural areas while remaining at 58% for urban zones, accounting for more than half of the population. The government defines literacy as writing one’s name in any official language of English. The current library system needs significant improvement, losing thousands of dollars each year due to missing material that often never makes it back to their shelves.

All of the constituents of the public libraries exist in a poor state; thus, the government must provide all the necessary resources and facilities. In addition to this, governments must develop and implement minimum standards across the country required by professional bodies such as IFLA and UNESCO.

Libraries are in pitiful condition. They need to be upgraded. A new single administration team is needed for the libraries, and this team should supervise all of them so that a consistent framework is used across all Libraries. All Libraries should work under the same administrative body because this will improve the consistency of Libary services to customers.

Public libraries are very important in the community. They provide educational programs that help illiterate users become more literate. Libraries can also provide lifelong learning opportunities, making their constituents even more effective when competing on a global scale. Public libraries are significant because they offer well-maintained and up-to-date collections of books that people can use for free. People can safely share their views and ideas with other patrons in library settings.

Public libraries play a fundamental cultural role in the lives of community members. They offer programs and services that help users become better readers and writers and increase their literacy knowledge. They also provide more opportunities for people to become lifelong learners by providing many libraries that host books that range from biographies to reference and fun fiction.

Additionally – creating libraries that provide free books and resources tailored to the community’s unique interests will help your company rustle up goodwill in the community at large! Studies show that establishing power sources near these libraries will motivate rural populations and increase library visits, thereby increasing profitability in the long run. We need more professional librarians who are well-equipped to provide better services to the community! We also need upgraded libraries with new books to meet the needs of the people and provide a place where they can relax and find recreational reading material. The uninterrupted power supply should be ensured so that researchers can access freely available journals throughout the day.

There are 302 public libraries in the country. These libraries are maintained by local bodies such as metropolitan or municipal corporations, municipal or town committees, cantonment boards, and district councils.

• Al-Firdous Baldia Public Library, Baldia Town
• Al-Huda Library, Nazimabad
• Allama Iqbal Library
• Allama Shabir Ahmad Usmani Library, Nazimabad
• Baba-e-Urdu Kutubkhana
• Bedil Library, Sharfabad Gulshan Town
• Board of Intermediate Karachi Library, North Nazimabad[1]
• Central Library, Korangi No.5, Korangi
• Children Library, Nazimabad
• Jacobabad
• Abdul Karim Gadai Municipal Library, Municipal Committee Building, Jacobabad, Sindh

Peshawar

• Main Library, University of Agriculture, Peshawar
• Main Library, University of Engineering & Technology, Peshawar
• Main Library, University of Peshawar, Peshawar
• Municipal Corporation Library, Peshawar City, Peshawar
• Nishtar Municipal Public Library, Town Hall, G. T. Road, Peshawar

List of libraries in Lahore

• The Quaid-e-Azam Library in Bagh-e-Jinnah
• Atomic Energy Minerals Centre Library
• Babar Ali Library, Aitchison College
• Dr. Baqir’s Library
• Dyal Singh Trust Library, established in Lahore in 1908 to pursue the will of the Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia; first set up in the Exchange Building, the residence of Sardar Dyal Singh.
• The Ewing Memorial Library
• Government College Library, Government College University

Following are some of the public libraries in Islamabad Capital Territory:

• PHRC Central Library
• National Library of Pakistan
• Islamabad Public Library
• Islamabad Community Library
• Sector F-11 Markaz.
• Islamabad Community Library
• Sector G-7, Near Iqbal Hall
• Islamabad Community Library
• Street – 9, Sector G-8/2
• Islamabad Community Library.

A public library is a non-profit building that houses books, magazines, newspapers, and other resources. This building provides the general public with information they might be seeking through materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, and more. They also provide other services to their community, like after-school programs, language learning seminars, and more.

Public libraries are very important in people’s lives as a source of accessing information and a place for knowledge creation. Public libraries are places where ideas, writing, and people come together to learn. They provide books and other materials for people wanting to read or use them independently. These materials are educational, lead to self-improvement, and help improve basic skills in reading. Throughout the years, public libraries have been seen as an educational resource for all community members. But now they have extended the reach of their educative role to include supporting both formal education within the community by providing access to books through school clubs, after-school programs, etc., as well as informal education provided by neighborhood library branches that offer computer access, Wi-Fi hotspots, public meeting rooms, adult workshops (such as Job Club on Wednesday mornings at 10:30) which aim at helping people build up job skills.

Conclusion:

It is recommended that all public libraries expand their roles to provide more effective services and resources, as discussed in the literature review. It requires additional efforts in offering new resources and collections, including technology facilities and educational programs in the libraries, to ensure they can support different roles. In addition, there must be an increased awareness of the public library’s vital role among users. Media outlets can also play a significant part in presenting more information about public libraries to highlight their importance.

It has been suggested in the literature review that public libraries should increase their roles. To achieve this, more resources, collections, and better facilities need to be offered, such as computers and different technologies that users can use. There is also a need to improve consumer awareness of public libraries’ functions through media channels.