Govt mulling over digitization of libraries: Sardar Shah

KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah on Friday said the provincial government was mulling over digitization of libraries in Karachi and other districts, ARY News reported.

Acknowledging the fact that the number of libraries in the megalopolis was extremely low, Syed Sardar Shah said the Department of Culture wanted to increase the number of libraries.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly, he said the Department of Culture had set up 23 libraries in entire Sindh. “Karachi has three, Hyderabad two and Larkana three libraries,” he said.

Grand Democratic Alliance’s Nusrat Seher Abbasi said the new libraries must have internet facility.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Muhammad Hussain Khan expressed wonder that there were only three libraries in the city with population of 30 million people. He suggested making a scheme for libraries in the next financial year.

Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said it was an era of technology; the children should be given internet where they could read millions of books.

On March 16, Sardar Ali Shah had paid a surprise visit to city’s schools and colleges and checked the attendance of teachers.

In one his visits, Shah had made it to Government Boys Secondary School in Shirin Jinnah Colony and inquired names of students from the teacher.

Upon not getting a satisfactory answer, the minister had expressed his resentment, saying a dedicated teacher knows all his students by name.