Architect Ray Johnston said, “Libraries serve as the living room of the community.” Gone is the image of a daunting academic environment with stern librarians. Instead, libraries are envisaged as public meeting spaces, with cafes, indoor lounges and courtyards, inviting for all ages.

Observing the lure of the competition — shopping malls — that have become the new family public spaces with play areas, a cinema and eating places alongside shops, architects thought to bring similar dynamics to libraries. However, unlike malls, libraries are not intended to generate revenue and instead offer something of value to their users.

Libraries are important repositories for the preservation of the history of the world and human thought, but also, as author Neil Gaiman says, to preserve truth. As he puts it: “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.” Libraries can additionally build communities, bringing together diverse social circles and age groups. Surprisingly, millennials are more likely to use libraries than any other age group, despite being almost physically attached to Google.

The closure of libraries and a dwindling numbers of visitors prompted the need to redesign and reinvent library spaces as multi-purpose community spaces. This new generation of libraries has conference rooms, classes on a range of topics and training in skills from quilting to digital 3-D modelling. They may have film screenings, yoga, poetry readings or board games. They may offer mother and child activity and reading areas, citizen’s information centres, spaces for social gathering, or simply a retreat from the cacophony of life. They aim to make learning enjoyable and to stimulate curiosity.

Many libraries across the world have been transformed into community spaces that offer much more than books — unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Karachi’s libraries

In a way, this new thinking is actually a return to the older systems of community-based learning. The Greeks discussed philosophy in the Agora — a marketplace. Sufi study circles took place in gardens and street corners and, at a more ordinary level, elders handed down oral traditions to be memorised by the younger generation gathered around them.

What role could libraries play in a country where half the population is only functionally literate with little motivation to go to school and an education that focuses on earning certificates and degrees rather than the love of knowledge?

Technology today has made access to knowledge possible even for those who cannot read. Systems developed for the visually impaired, such as audio books, text-to-voice and voice-to-text systems have opened up possibilities of educating the illiterate.

Translation software enables learning from different language sources. Children are able to navigate computer and phone screens using icons. Virtual assistants, such as Siri and Alexa, and GPS devices are widely used. Oral recording, such as those done by the Citizen’s Archive of Pakistan, enable people to add to the history of their times, even if they are not adept writers.

Teaching through pictures dates back to the time of cave dwellers. The credit for the first use of pictures in a book to tell a story rather than supplement a text goes to the 19th century illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Today, graphic novels and animations are commonplace, and they are used not just for entertainment but to transfer knowledge. Film is a powerful way to convey knowledge though images.

More than 800 million people in the world are illiterate and many more have a limited level of education. For a country to prosper, education is a cornerstone of development and progress, enabling homegrown solutions to homegrown problems, rather than imported solutions that rarely succeed.

The concept of libraries without shelves is not an alternative to reading from books, but rather a way to draw people into the world of education and, for some, an impetus to take the next step of learning how to read.

Karachi has two libraries that were envisaged as community spaces, largely funded by local philanthropists. The Frere Hall library is situated in a large garden and part of a magnificent community hall. On a more intimate scale is the Khaliqdina library and community hall. Both have a history of events that ranged from cultural activities, political and religious gatherings, to simply being places for friends to meet.

Today, these libraries are dusty unloved spaces, waiting to be noticed, waiting to share their treasures. Imagine the libraries spilling out on to the grounds through activities such as storytelling, book reading, discussions, film shows or interactive theatre, making learning enjoyable for all ages.

As the blues singer B.B. King said, “The beautiful thing about learning is, no one can take it away from you.”

Durriya Kazi is a Karachi-based artist. She may be reached at durriyakazi1918@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 23rd, 2024