Plight of a public library
The Divisional Public Library of Chittagong is beset with many problems. To begin with, the library is housed in a building that was partially damaged by an earthquake-- the cracks on walls are still visible. Then the lighting of the reading rooms is less than adequate. As evening creeps in, the readers have no choice but to read in dimly-lit halls. The corridors have bad smell as the toilets are not cleaned properly.
The shelves have books that were procured decades ago. Some books are in poor condition: pages of those books have turned so grey that they will tax your eyesight. Especially, the books of the general reader's section are in pitiable condition. Although the library is visited by many students of colleges and universities, it has no photocopier, let alone the Internet. The room meant for newspapers and magazines is not stocked with sufficient number of reading material.
In these hyper-materialistic days the habit of reading is waning. In this context, the importance of a public library can hardly be exaggerated. We hope the authorities will look into the problems that plague the library.
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