You scratch my back, all I need is a "thank you"

A few weeks ago, librarians from the United States, India and Pakistan met at a conference to discuss the future of Pakistan’s libraries. In August, massive floods destroyed hundreds of libraries and took lives of more than 1,000 people. Homes were destroyed, and crops and agriculture were wiped out.

Financial aid has been given to Pakistan, but most of that has gone toward food and health care, rarely leaving any money left for the rebuilding of the libraries. At the conference, Leonard Kniffel, American Libraries magazine editor and publisher, gave the keynote address. Kniffel stated that preserving and modernizing Pakistan libraries is currently not the most important item on the country’s agenda, so it is a struggle to promote the need for libraries.

The government is choosing to focus attention on rebuilding homes and providing refugees with food and health care, and those are vital needs for survival, but some attention, if not money, should also be placed on the future of libraries.

Kniffel stated that much of Pakistan’s citizens do not view libraries as community places to gather, research and learn, but as “book warehouses.” Attendees of this conference are trying to promote more innovative ways to boost the image of Pakistani libraries. They want to be able to eventually provide access to Internet and have libraries become a community place where any member of the public can go, while still preserving tradition and books.

“Librarians in Pakistan are struggling with technology and how to pay for it, with public perception that libraries are irrelevant in the age of the Internet and in a political climate that is isolating the country,” Kniffel said. “I visited a number of libraries and talked with many librarians, university faculty and students. The need for renovation, preservation and staff training is extreme, but there are visionary librarians in Pakistan who understand what must be done.”

In a country that is currently facing struggles, it is important for libraries to have a seat on the agenda for policy making in order to preserve culture and tradition and promote innovation. Policies supporting libraries could provide citizens with the best resources possible, therefore, helping the country grow as a whole.

It makes me pleased to see that librarians in America are reaching out to others in foreign countries, though we have a large number of obstacles on our plate to tackle. In the ever-changing world, strength in numbers proves to be the best way to handle problems, and through comradeship and exchange of resources and ideas at these types of conferences, I’m hoping that Pakistan libraries will be able to achieve its goals for the future.