A ROOM without books is pretty much like a body without a soul, wrote ancient Roman philosopher Cicero. In the bustling streets of Lahore, a city steeped in history and culture, one cannot help but wonder whether this soul is fading away. The demise of the libraries suggest it is. The decline of reading culture among the youth is alarming and poses a grave concern, particularly when it comes to the intellectual future of the country.

From my earliest memories, my father’s return from his travels brought with it the promise of new books, which he added to his mini-library in our village and in Lahore. His ability to effortlessly reference various historical events, whether from Islamic history or Pakistan’s political past, always left me in awe. It was a testament to the power of books and reading.

Books are transformative agents. They expand vocabulary, broaden perspectives, and allow us to see different facets of the same issue. It was George Washington Carver who beautifully expressed the profound impact of reading when he said education is the key to “unlock the golden door of freedom”.

Regrettably, the significance of library lessons in educational institutions stands diminished to idle chatter. I recall my days at Sadiq Public School in Baha-walpur where the library housed an impressive collection of over 20,000 books. Today, unbridled use of social media platforms has caused shrinkage of attention spans down to 30-second videos full of inanities.

During my time at the University of London, I saw there were plenty of free online resources available for academic research. Unfortunately, in Pakistan’s educational institutions, not much of the sort is available. With exams being

the sole focus of our academic activities, it is not surprising that many of our graduates lack intellectual skills.

While every household should have a small collection of books to encourage the young to enjoy a good read, I think the situation can really improve if housing societies could establish libraries on their respective premises. It has the potential to boost people’s interest in reading. In Lahore, there are many housing societies, and many more coming up. They typically include a mosque and a park in their plans, but libraries are overlooked. With public libraries already in a state of disarray, there are only a few affordable libraries available in Lahore.

The situation is indicative of where our priorities are, and this is why we often lack in-depth discussions and robust debates in our everyday conversations. We tend to rely on social media and shortcuts rather than engaging with books.

The Anarkali book vendors must be appreciated for setting up weekly stalls in Lahore, offering affordable books.

It is essential that every community in society is encouraged to establish libraries so that we may together foster a culture of reading for a better tomorrow.

Ahmad Kamal Mazari
Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2023