About a decade ago, when I was living in Karachi, I started thinking about how a lightweight, well-integrated public library model would operate in a chaotic city like Karachi.

Usually, when we think of a public library, we imagine a huge building in a central location, with lots of space for storing books, and study halls for readers. It is a wonderful image, one which brings people together as a learning community and into proximity with books, which has a calming, civilising effect on humans.

And it is an image which could still be realised in our small towns. But in cities like Karachi, with a high population density, a public library has to be reimagined as a widely available and accessible service, with far greater resources than offered by the handful of public libraries scattered across Karachi.

What is offered below by way of a public library model is just a sketch, but it covers most services needed by learners, the category of people most in need of public libraries.

This public library would have a central office, connected to a city-wide network of small library units, community hubs and kiosks. People can search the online library catalogue, place holds, and pick up orders close to where they live.

At the rate of 30 books per metre, the initial shelving capacity needed will be 35 kilometres, to house one million books — this would offer a decent-sized collection for a population of around 18 to 20 million people, such as we have in Karachi. Thirty-five kilometres of shelving space sounds huge, but in reality it translates to 200 mid-sized rooms, each housing 5,000 books. Imagine an apartment complex in the city, where only books and their keepers live!

A city-wide network of centrally located library kiosks will allow easy access to books. Each kiosk will be staffed by a junior librarian and connected to the central library. Members will be able to browse titles, place holds and pick up books without having to visit the central library. All kiosks will be served by a mobile team, which will bring books ordered by members from the central library and take away returned titles.

Any books available in the library catalogue and ordered online or through kiosks by 9pm, would be available for pick up by 9am the following morning. When an ordered book has arrived, an email/automated phone message/SMS alert will be sent to the member to inform them that it is ready for pick up. Book deliveries to neighbourhood kiosks will be made after midnight, to avoid delays caused by heavy traffic.

Members and non-members can search the library catalogue online and order books and place holds. For an additional fee, people can have books sent to their home addresses by post. A special library book rate can be negotiated with the post office for this service. This will allow older people, who do not often leave their homes, to have access to books.

As an institution, the public library should also encourage the development of franchisee neighbourhood libraries. With this model, stationery shops and management offices in apartment complexes can act as extensions of the public library.

Initially, the system will be tested for flaws and potential glitches by starting library kiosks in educational institutions. An institutional membership will be offered to participating organisations. A book bank will be established, which will supply textbooks on long-term rent to schools and college students, and simultaneously develop a student membership base.

Once the system has been tested in a number of institutions, and a substantial membership base has been attained with the book bank, general public memberships will be offered next.

Two different funding modes, or a combination, can be considered for the service. Operational funds can be generated by private sector sponsorship. Multinational corporations (MNCs) can have their branded kiosks, where small physical libraries can be established and revenue streams can be developed to maintain and expand the infrastructure.

Services such as a cafe, a media centre (computer rental, photocopy, scanning and printing services), a continuing education and vocational training centre etc, can be offered within the library premises. A portion of the central office will be converted into a career training and resource centre, where workshops/seminars/training courses will be held. Rooms can be rented out to organisers of workshops, seminars and professional training courses, as many people may be interested in general interest courses such as gardening, sewing, home décor etc.

The other funding model would require the government to own the public library service and fund it through adding a basic charge of 50 to 100 rupees to utility bills.

The library can offer its members and the general public select books from the public library at subsidised rates. A special publication series will be instituted that will offer digitally printed editions of books people want to buy. The library can work with publishers to offer digitally printed editions of their out-of-print stock, and also publish books of general interest. The library will also act as a book bank, providing school and college textbooks on rent to students and institutional members.

When you next visit your nearby grocery store, imagine a kiosk the size of a paan shop next door, stocked with books that you can visit at your convenience, to pick up what you ordered 12 hours earlier. The public library system can make that happen.

The columnist is a novelist, author and translator.

He can be reached on X: @microMAF or via his website: micromaf.com

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, July 28th, 2024