State's active engagement stressed for promoting reading culture

Kathmandu, Feb 7: Stakeholders have stressed the need of the State's active engagement for promoting reading culture and sustainably preserving the libraries.     

At a programme organized here today on the occasion of 21st annual general meeting of the Kathmandu Valley Public Library Society, the speakers underlined the need of engagement of the State at multiple levels for the protection and management of libraries, and promotion of readership culture.     

On the occasion, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Sunita Dangol pledged to extend necessary cooperation for the protection, management and promotion of libraries as the foundation for building studious society.     

"Libraries are important for cultivating reading habits. A studious society is a prosperous society. Library provides environment for all to study", she noted.     

Dangol shared that emphasis was laid on promoting community learning centres to develop reading culture from the metropolis along with each ward and school levels.     

The budget amounting to Rs 10 million has been earmarked for the management and protection of libraries in the current fiscal year, the deputy mayor informed, adding the KMC was ready to take custodian of the protection of public libraries.     

Lawmaker Santosh Pariyar underscored the spectacular role of the State for developing libraries as study culture centre.     

Society's founding chairperson and patron Dr Narayan Khadka said library is not only the centre of knowledge and information but also the repository of country's transformation, civilization and history. He argued that the State should lay emphasis on the preservation of libraries for the cause.     

Society's Chair Dr Govinda Pokharel spoke the importance of collaboration among the stakeholders for the protection and management of libraries. He expressed the commitment to ensure further effectiveness of library as study culture centre.(RSS)