Sundargarh: Books are a great source of information and knowledge. However, in this digital age, book reading habit has been impacted across generations.
However, the district administration has developed a library with modern amenities to arouse reading interest among students, youth and common people. Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan inaugurated the sub-divisional library established under ‘Sundargarh Bahi Padha,’ a public library initiative.
Books for children, school students, youths, biographies, literature, science and other age groups are available here. The facility will have books and periodicals to help educated youth prepare for competitive exams. The library will remain open six days a week from 9 am to 12 noon and from 4pm to7pm.
“The Bonai public library will benefit book lovers as it is equipped with a reading room and a separate room for children. We are focusing on building library and reading room facilities at different places across the district to connect students and common masses with information and knowledge through books,” said Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan while inaugurating the library.
There are different library set ups across the district. A modern library and reading room has been established in Zilla Sanskruti Bhawan. With books on diverse subjects, the library will be upgraded to e-library soon to fulfil the needs of students, researchers and youth.
The e-library will be linked with the State Library at Bhubaneswar so that readers at Sundargarh will get access to various books and information available at the State Library. The library at Zilla Sanskruti Bhawan remains open from 10am to 1.30 pm and 2.30pm to 5pm.
The library is closed for the public, Mondays. Similarly, there is another library in Sundargarh under the District Information and Public Relations Department. Books of diverse interests catering to different age groups have been kept in the library for the benefit of a cross section of people.
This library remains open from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10.30am and 5pm to 8pm. To attract students, educated youngsters and locals of rural areas, ‘Grameen Pathagara’ or rural libraries are being set up at block levels in Sundargarh.
Two such libraries are operational at Kamlanga in Hemgir block and Lephripara block headquarters. Reading rooms, drinking water and clean toilet facilities are provisioned at every facility which will comfort the readers and visitors in Sundargarh district.
Under ‘Sundargarh Bahi Padha’ scheme, the ‘Bahi Bagicha’ or Book Garden has been established at the Collector’s residence to ignite a love for books among children, youth and others.
Every Sunday there used to be variety of creative activities for children, including reading books. But the programme has remained shut due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the 5T Initiative of the state government, high schools are being transformed with facilities of digital blackboards, modern libraries, e-libraries, computer labs, clean toilets and playgrounds.
In the first phase, students at 67 renewed high schools are availing e-library and ICT lab facilities. The district mineral foundation (DMF) has provided financial aid.
PNN