The argument that waning reading habits are a ‘bane’ to libraries is an oversimplification of a complex issue, as libraries continue to adapt and serve vital community functions.
A retired librarian further clarifies that the shift from physical books to digital formats, while transforming how we interact with text, underscores the fundamental importance of critical thinking, information literacy, and the joy of reading.
He is strongly of the opinion that libraries are not becoming ‘extinct’. On the contrary, they are transforming to meet the changing needs of society, blending their traditional roles with new services to remain indispensable pillars of their communities.
The public library system in Goa, mirroring the structure found throughout much of India, operates on a tiered system designed to provide library access at various administrative levels, viz, State, District, Taluka, and village libraries.
This structure helps ensure comprehensive library coverage across the state, from the major cities to smaller villages.
Presumably Goa has a ‘strong’ public library system, anchored by the historic Krishnadas Shama Goa State Central Library which is said to be the oldest in India, supported by District, town, and village libraries, all operating under the 1993 Goa Public Libraries Act to provide accessible resources for education and leisure, focusing on Konkani, Marathi, English, and other languages.
The ex-curator was however very categoric about coastal villages in the state facing challenges with library access and usage, with some areas lacking physical branches and residents increasingly turning to digital sources for reading.
Several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Goa operate libraries, often in collaboration with the government’s public library system. These libraries are spread across various talukas (administrative divisions) in the state.
The extensive network of community-based libraries in Goa, many of which are run by NGOs, is indicative of a strong culture of community engagement to promote literacy and lifelong learning among the local populace.
Besides, the state’s first ever library policy, a pioneering move in India, aims to significantly expand its library network by establishing 78 new libraries, introducing mobile libraries for remote areas, and digitizing collections, all to foster reading culture and support education, marking a big step in state-level library development.
There is however a general feeling that the library movement in Goa has struggled due to insufficient funding and infrastructure, a lack of professionally qualified staff, and low public awareness and utilization of available facilities.
When education has become everything but a tool of empowerment and enabler for meaningful employment, libraries, according to some educators, have seemingly lost their relevance for the state machinery.
Libraries are to broaden individual and community outlook, widen the socio-political and cultural vision. How partisan and ‘thrust-on’ views can promote library movement, they wonder. The government is expected to encourage enrichment of public thought and spread of reading culture which requires free-flow of ideas and views of all kinds and varied hues.
Library movement is a state-driven endeavour. When conscious efforts are made by state entities to lame and shame the library culture and its proponents, they risk inflicting significant self-disservice by curtailing education, hindering community development, fostering anti-intellectualism, and eroding democratic access to information.
Advocates for the library movement stress that libraries are critical community assets, and their decline directly impacts the intellectual and cultural growth of the region.
It is common for libraries across the country, particularly those dealing with arts and broader cultural information, to be administered by or closely linked with Art & Culture departments.
However, the practice of having the Directorate of Art & Culture manage the public library system and providing oversight for state libraries is often criticised in Goa.
A feeling that the department typically prioritizes cultural and artistic events over core library functions, leading to issues with dedicated funding, professional staffing, and strategic planning for the evolving informational needs of a modern society, has fueled such speculations.
A dedicated library board, on the other hand, is designed to advocate for specific library standards, ensure consistent financial expenditure, and provide the necessary professional oversight for comprehensive library development.
Although the Goa Public Libraries Act, 1993 established a state library authority and empowered the government to appoint a library board, its implementation, including the active constitution and functioning of these boards, has seen delays.
There is another school of thought which calls for integrating libraries into the Directorate of Education, as it was in the past. Alternatively, there could be the Directorate of Library and Reference Services. The Art & Culture Directorate managing public libraries is something beyond reason and against.
Moreover, Library Science is now considered a core component or a subset of the much broader field of Library and Information Science, which addresses the entire lifecycle of information in the digital age.
As libraries evolve to remain relevant in the digital age by serving as vital community hubs, educational centers, and guarantors of equitable access to information, it is essential to understand that they are ‘transmuting’ from mere book repositories into dynamic community anchors.
Hence, the immediate need for libraries to be understood in their correct context!
(Pachu Menon is a senior
columnist and author based in Goa.)
