Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 4: The state department of culture, which manages the city-based Harekrushna Mahtab State Library, plans to the give the institution a facelift.
The department plans to improve the infrastructure and install assets to ensure members can utilise the government institution and concentrate on their research while on the campus.
The government plans to increase the capacity of the library to accommodate candidates. “Around 200 new chairs have been introduced in the library. Besides, the construction of the top floor to accommodate new members, which started a few months ago, is going on in full swing,” said Bhawani Prasad Ray, deputy director, state culture department.
The department is also going to repair the existing CCTV cameras and is likely to install new CCTV cameras if there is a need, said Ray. Moreover, according to the department, 27,000 books exclusively on law have been added to the library.
Keeping in mind the demands of the students, the working hours of the library has also been modified to benefit members, most of whom plan to take competitive examinations.
The library will now be open from 10 am to 9 pm against the earlier timings of 10 am to 8 pm. Moreover, during second Saturdays, the library will be open from 9 am till 4pm against the earlier timings of 10 am 4 pm.
The library, which was built according to the recommendations of the first Five Year Plan. Earlier it was known as Gandhi Bhawan. However, in 1987 it was renamed as the Harekrushna Mahtab State Library.
The official website of the library claims that the total capacity of the library is 350 (number of seats), while the daily demand is 600-700. Data say that the library is home to nearly 1,44,000 reference books, alongside 15 newspapers that the institution subscribes.
Officials say that they have more than 6,000 registered members. The library has books on fine arts, language, literature, text books, children’s books. it also has several sections such as Braille section, computer section, reprography section, and technical section.
