A State Central Library and the library at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok abodes two major libraries. Both places store the treasure of knowledge with ancient books to modern read. A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.Library at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology is a research library focusing on Tibetan Buddhism. It has got the 3rd largest collection of books on Tibetan Buddhism and teachings. Library attracts researchers from Germany, US, Varanasi, Dharamsala and many other parts of the world and India. But the irony is hardly any local visit to this library.
Tenzin Samphel, main Librarian at NIT says “Very few locals visit to this library, say 10-15 in a month and sometimes even less than that”. On the question of why there is not much of enthusiasm among readers to come and read, he asserted “Ours is a research library and deals with a specific subject. I also feel that still there is some lack of awareness about this library among locals. Apart from it people don’t have reading habits over here”.
NIT Library
Few students visit to libraries these days. Most of them just to complete their assignments
The vintage section of the NIT library lodges the rarest books on Buddhism, Ancient Sikkim and Tibetan history and books on Central Asia. Sometimes students from Sikkim University and Government College do visit, but only for their assignments.
Chandra Prakash Adhikari, a third year student at Government College viewed “We go to library only when we want to do our assignments otherwise we hardly bother to go”. Same views were echoed by a second year student Dinesh Induriya “I never felt like reading. But since I came here for three times I am developing my interest to read and would love to come back, not to do assignments but just to read about Sikkim history”.
Same irony is being felt at State Central Library. Though, in terms of membership this library is pretty better off. There are about 1200 registered members where most of them are from Gangtok. Officers and families from Central government posted in Gangtok are also in huge numbers.
Curator of State Central Library, P.D. Lepcha revealed that among all the visitors’ students are the maximum that turn up. But still response from general public is not that encouraging. He says “The footfall is not up to the mark. We have got very good collection of books and want people to come forward and take advantage of it. It seems that when we had less collection there were more readers but no when we have more collection, readers are few”.
The amount government spends on bringing new books and maintaining 4 district and 5 sub divisional libraries is immense. But lack of zeal among local people to read books make this money run into mill.
State Central Library
State Central Library sign board.
P.D Lepcha felt that with the advent of new technologies people don’t want to spend their time in going to libraries. They find everything on internet or through movies and DVD’s. Present generation lack reading habits and most of them come under compulsion.
Raman Shresta of Rachna Books and Publications has different views. He felt that reading habits are improving and people do want to read especially kids. It is just about making reading exercise cool. He shares a very interesting anecdote “Some days back a child visited to my store. He study in a government school but was on leave because of a broken arm. Somehow he ends up visiting my shop. For the first day he spent 3 hrs and turned next day too. For the rest other days he kept on reading for hours and hours. I even had to provide him lunch on some days. That was his enthusiasm”.
As famous proverb goes “The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television.” Are people of Gangtok ready to embrace those worthy ideas?
Tenzin Samphel, main Librarian at NIT says “Very few locals visit to this library, say 10-15 in a month and sometimes even less than that”. On the question of why there is not much of enthusiasm among readers to come and read, he asserted “Ours is a research library and deals with a specific subject. I also feel that still there is some lack of awareness about this library among locals. Apart from it people don’t have reading habits over here”.
NIT Library
Few students visit to libraries these days. Most of them just to complete their assignments
The vintage section of the NIT library lodges the rarest books on Buddhism, Ancient Sikkim and Tibetan history and books on Central Asia. Sometimes students from Sikkim University and Government College do visit, but only for their assignments.
Chandra Prakash Adhikari, a third year student at Government College viewed “We go to library only when we want to do our assignments otherwise we hardly bother to go”. Same views were echoed by a second year student Dinesh Induriya “I never felt like reading. But since I came here for three times I am developing my interest to read and would love to come back, not to do assignments but just to read about Sikkim history”.
Same irony is being felt at State Central Library. Though, in terms of membership this library is pretty better off. There are about 1200 registered members where most of them are from Gangtok. Officers and families from Central government posted in Gangtok are also in huge numbers.
Curator of State Central Library, P.D. Lepcha revealed that among all the visitors’ students are the maximum that turn up. But still response from general public is not that encouraging. He says “The footfall is not up to the mark. We have got very good collection of books and want people to come forward and take advantage of it. It seems that when we had less collection there were more readers but no when we have more collection, readers are few”.
The amount government spends on bringing new books and maintaining 4 district and 5 sub divisional libraries is immense. But lack of zeal among local people to read books make this money run into mill.
State Central Library
State Central Library sign board.
P.D Lepcha felt that with the advent of new technologies people don’t want to spend their time in going to libraries. They find everything on internet or through movies and DVD’s. Present generation lack reading habits and most of them come under compulsion.
Raman Shresta of Rachna Books and Publications has different views. He felt that reading habits are improving and people do want to read especially kids. It is just about making reading exercise cool. He shares a very interesting anecdote “Some days back a child visited to my store. He study in a government school but was on leave because of a broken arm. Somehow he ends up visiting my shop. For the first day he spent 3 hrs and turned next day too. For the rest other days he kept on reading for hours and hours. I even had to provide him lunch on some days. That was his enthusiasm”.
As famous proverb goes “The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television.” Are people of Gangtok ready to embrace those worthy ideas?
source : isikkim.com/
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