Libray Day celebrated
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 12 2018:
Many book lovers and library enthusiasts of the State have called for collective efforts between the Government and the public to strengthen library movement in the State Library Day cum 126th Birth Anniversary of Dr SR Ranganathan, was held at Priyogopalsana Auditorium of Jawharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA), today.
The observation was organized by JNMDA in collaboration with Manipur Library Association (MALA) .
Professor H Tombi Singh, Vice Chairman, JNMDA, Professor N Tombi Singh, ex-Vice Chairman, JNMDA and K Chaoba Singh, president MALA graced the function as the chief guest, guest of honour and president respectively.
Speaking on the topic "Importance of Library in the Academic Institution", former president of MALA, L Sabita Devi asserted that the importance of library in developing a Nation or a society can be traced to the history of how the Japanese Nation rebuilt itself after it was devastated by the atomic bombing at Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Informing that the habit of reading books is imparted to the Japanese children from a young age, she asserted that it is only through this culture that Japan managed to rise and become a well developed Nation even after it was almost obliterated by the atomic bombings.
However in Manipur, children are being pressured just to score high marks instead of making them hunt and explore knowledge from books.
This is the main defect in the education system in the State.
Students, particularly those in higher classes, need to acquire more knowledge and they need to explore further by reading, books in libraries, she conveyed.
Such method of acquiring knowledge is even more essential in projects and research works for the students in higher studies in the college and university level.
Hence there is an urgent need for development of libraries in the State as most libraries in schools and colleges are present only for name sake and are often without any librarians, she added.
Observing that a collective effort is required to strengthen library movement in the State, she also drew the attention of the Government to do the needful.
Professor H Tombi Singh opined that boundless knowledge can be obtained from reading books while noting that the application of library science is poor in the State although its movement is still there.
He also maintained that both the Government and general people in the State seem to lack the necessary awareness about the importance of library.
Library science is much advanced in the present day in other parts of the world with the invention of modern scientific equipment, such as digitization of books although the trend is moving at a very slow pace in the State, he added.