Libraries on their last leg

Hyderabad: One can see scores of students seated outside the Hyderabad City Grandhalaya Samstha and State Central Library right from morning till late in the afternoon. All of them bury their heads into competitive exam books. People who would frequent libraries in the past visited them for the sheer joy of reading novels and books on a wide variety of topics.

V K Mohan, a student of Osmania University says, "Students have a single focus of cracking a competitive exam. Those days of going to libraries just to read books for the sheer joy have gone. People have almost stopped visiting libraries."

Mallikarjun Rao, a retired government employee and resident of Chintal Basti says, "During rainy season it is difficult as the roof leaks, also new books are not added at the Chintal Basti government library."

Youngsters missing at libraries

That the reading habit is on the wane is evident when one visits the government libraries. One can find a handful of retired employees. Mallika, a resident of Takara Basti says, "Leave alone visiting libraries, this generation of kids does not want even to go out and play in the open."

When as, Akhil, a Class 8 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Picket, says, "I get to read the latest editions online so why should I go to a library. We get information on the internet with just a click of a button."

The government, too, is not adding new books to libraries and is finding it difficult to pay salaries to employees. City Central Library, Chikkadpally, officials informed that the last time they received funds was in 2013. Due to the lack of funds, the officials are not supplying new books to the other branches in city and also stopped repairing and maintaining the buildings.

Several branch libraries such as Takara Basti, Bakaram, Adikmet, Ameerpet, Jubilee Hills, Mettuguda, Chintal Basti, Friends Colony and Rahmat Nagar have not received fresh stock of books in the last three years.

Manik Rao, a book lover, says, "Even private book stores are now closing down. A case in point is Landmark that shut shop recently. There were few players such as Just Books in the private space that opened several stores in several cities but have closed down."