Pity the nation that does not read. It is puzzling why Pakistanis are so disinclined to read. It was not so at the time of partition.

In a world in which writers are considered celebrities and feted by their respective societies, Pakistani writers — not the globetrotting ones who write in the English language — find it difficult to get hold of a publisher. Even if they somehow manage to achieve that goal, the next issue that worries them is the number of copies to be printed. An Urdu poet or novelist (top-notch or second-tier) doesn't muster the courage to print more than 500 copies of the first edition of his book. Reason people don't read. They've stopped visiting libraries where the culture of keeping pace with the intellectual developments of the world by reading newspapers, magazines and all kinds of books was in vogue. It is no more the case.

Karachi has several libraries. The Liaquat Memorial Library, Ghalib Library, Frere Hall Library, Taimuria Library, Defence Library and Dr Mahmood Husain Library at the University of Karachi are some that instantly spring to mind. All of them are not public libraries. Sadly, despite the wealth of knowledge and wisdom that they house and a reasonable enough space to study at, not a huge number of people visit them.

The Liaquat Memorial Library's Naheed Pervaiz says “I'm hurt. I've been serving this profession for the last 35 years. I've never seen such a decline in reading habits. There are three kinds of library comers (1) students (2) researchers (3) those who generally like to read. Today we primarily come across students preparing for this or that examination. We have a separate section for CSS aspirants too. Sadly the culture of reading books has come to an end. In the past if you'd only done your matriculation, you'd still be reading books of different kinds to keep yourself informed. In fact what's most disconcerting is that people don't attach enough importance to literature anymore. It's a subject that gives you perceptions of life. If you talk to young students today and ask them about Ibn-i-Khuldun or Rumi, you'd draw a blank. I feel a child's first school is its mother's company. That's where the problem lies parents themselves don't read.”

Chairperson of the KU Department of Library and Information Science Malahat Kaleem Sherwani thinks otherwise.

“I don't believe that people have stopped going through books. The person who has once got into the habit of reading books can't do without them. It's like an addiction. The reason why people don't come to libraries is that these facilities are not kept the way they ought to be. Take for example the Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani Library in Nazimabad No 1. It used to be a terrific source with a great collection, but lack of attention has caused it to deteriorate and it is now in poor state. Taimuria Library is another example which owing to the ups and downs in the city government setup has suffered. When nonprofessionals are put in charge of such responsible places, these things are bound to happen. I must tell you that a library in Landhi has a great art collection; so do the ones in Frere Hall and the State Bank of Pakistan.”

Visiting different libraries in the city would give you a mixed feeling. Not that they don't get visitors, regular or random, the general vibe that you get is of pedantic pursuits and not of a place that a student of life would passionately come to. Yes, those who frequent them are apprentices and learners seeking a degree course in accounts, MBA, etc. But there's a negligibly minute number that can be seen with a work of fiction or poetry in their hands. Otherwise why would you see at the Liaquat Memorial Library a young twenty-something lad flipping through Marian Keyes's Watermelon?

“I find this place quite comforting. I don't come here often. Whenever I have the time I do make it a point to sit in a quiet corner and read a novel which my teacher at university has asked me to,” says Mohsin Usman, a young Karachi University student.

“I know a majority of those who are seen here are either studying chartered accountancy or business management. I tell you, for literature students the library has many wonderful reference books.”

There's hope. Roman philosopher Cicero once said, to add a library to a house is to give that house a soul. Today Pakistan is a country without a soul. Time to visit our libraries, again!