Koraput: The 40-year-old district library here is all set to get a facelift and plans are afoot to develop it as a model library.
While the process of shifting the library from its present location to the building of the district culture department has already begun, plans are afoot to equip it with latest technology and infrastructure.
For the past several years, the library had been lying neglected and unattended. To attract more people to the library and inculcate reading habit in public, especially students, it has been decided to develop it as a model library, where readers can spend hours together, collector Jaya Kumar V said.
Under the renovation plan, the old library will be replaced by e-library. While new furniture will be purchased for readers, additional racks have been procured to ensure space for books.
All these years, one had to spend hours to find the required books. Though the library has some valuable century-old books on many subjects, they were just bundled and thrown into a corner in the absence of an efficient system.
“Soon we will digitize the library so that a visitor can track the book just with a click of the mouse,” the collector said.
According to the collector, the number of books on various subjects and languages in the library will be increased from 35,000 to 1 lakh.
The library was established in 1979 and is being run by the information and public relations department. The administration plans to equip the library with books on various subjects ranging from literature, history, science and fiction to books on academics and magazines helpful for students preparing for various competitive examinations, including civil services.
“We want people from all age groups to spend time in reading at the library. Special reading compartments will be made inside the library for students preparing for competitive examinations to ensure that they are not distracted by others,” the collector said.
The administration plans to introduce membership fees for the library so that one can take a book home for a certain period.
Meanwhile, Koraput District Librarian Association (KDLA) welcomed the administration’s decision to renovate the library.
“At a time when children are losing their reading habit, the initiative will go a long way in instilling the habit in public and attract more students to the library,” said secretary of KDLA Seikh Ibrahim. PTI
