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Lack of facilities at Sachal Sarmast library
KHAIRPUR, June 13(Dawn): The Sachal Sarmast Library, with its lack of
facilities for readers, is discouraging the few knowledge-seekers who still keep
up the tradition of visiting libraries in this age of computers and Internet,
which has despite its many advantages greatly diminished interest in reading
books and drastically dropped number of library-goers.
The library has
three air conditioners installed in the reading hall but none is functioning. It
has no electricity generator, no parking area and not even toilets. In case of
power failure, the readers numbering about 300 who frequent the library daily
have to leave.
Two water coolers were installed in the library on
temporary basis after library-goers staged protest about a month ago. Women and
children can not visit the library because it has no separate sections for them.
Besides, there is no separate section for researchers.
Syed Roshan Shah
Rashid, In-charge of the library, said that separate sections for children,
women and scholars and a computer section would be part of the new
under-construction building of the library which would be completed by
2008.
Renowned poets, leftist leaders and scholars including late Dr
Tanvir Abbasi, late comrade Baqir Shah, late comrade Ali Muttahir Jafri, late
Hadi Bux Larik, Ali Aslam Jafri and Maula Bux Larik had taken steps to set up a
separate Khairpur corner in the library with material on the history of Khairpur
State but it remains a dream till this day. The library does not have sufficient
number of books on the history of Khairpur State and its rulers.
The
library used to be a venue for Sindhi Adabi Sangat's weekly meetings, lecture
programmes, literary, historical and musical programmes during 1970-80s but the
practice gradually came to an end over last two decades.
According to
accession register, the library has at present 40,537 books in English, 27,343
in Sindhi, 33,217 in Urdu, 2,299 books in children's section, 5,848 in Persian
and Arabic and 1,423 manuscripts.
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