Bazm-e-Akram's Adab-o-Kutub Khana 8 glitters literary arena

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The eighth edition of Adab-o-Kutub Khana, the flagship publication of Bazm-e-Akram, a literary forum of the library scientists, named after Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, the leading light of the profession in the country, has been brought out at the start of the year once more, much to the delight and satisfaction of its readers.

The Adab-o-Kutub Khana-8 has lived up to its reputation of being rich in content and neat in presentation. The cover, having a snapshot of library setting in the centre, has added grace to an otherwise simple title. 

With a bouquet of research articles, travelogues, interviews, poetry and other literary ingredients, it can be classified perfect New Year gift for the library scientists. Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a former Chairperson of the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Karachi, who is the Chief Editor of the annual journal, has added another feather to her cap by bringing out the latest edition of Adab-o-Kutub Khana. 

She has been assisted by the trio of Dr Nasreen Shagufta, Dr Amna Khatoon and Zainuddin Siddiqui. 

The Adab-o-Kutub Khana-8 is spread over 200 pages and as usual it contains contributions from some of the eminent library professionals as well as renowned literary figures of Pakistan alongwith a few articles from abroad. It has been priced Rs 400 in Pakistan with US$10 being its published international price.

It has editorial contributions from Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, Dr Nasreen Shagufta, Abdul Samad Ansari, Dr Amna Khatoon, Karamat Gardezi, Tabish Dehalvi, Zainuddin Siddiqui, Ata-ur-Rahman Ata, Iqbal Farooqui Qamar, Mushfiq Khwaja, Dr Javed Manzar, Riaz Nadeem Niazi, Syed Ahmed Naqvi, Dr Mumtaz Ali Anwar, Seema Siraj, Shahnaz Muzammil, Farigh Bukhari, Wasil Usmani, Bashiruddin Khushid, Dr Nigar Sajjad Zaheer, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Mohammad Misbah-ul-Haq, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Nazia Mukhtar, Syed Ateeb Ahmed, Azra Qureshi, Syed Jamil Ahmed Rizvi, Huma Mannan Butt, Imtiaz Ali Arshi, Farhat Hussain, Shamim Ahmed Farooqui, Shehla Nawaz, Ashraf Shakoori, Dr Shamshad Ahmed and Ehtisham Jahan Bahar. 

The support of Abdul Wahab Khan Saleem, Farid Sabzwari, Fahim Sabzwari, Nadeem Sabzwari, Shamim Ahmed Farooqui, Azra Qureshi and Shakeel Ahmed has been prominently acknowledged for having facilitated the publication of Adab-o-Kutub Khana-8. 

In the preface, the Chief Editor, Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, has reckoned an improvement in the standard of the contents as well as the production of the annual journal. 

She has recognized the contributors for having responded enthusiastically to her call, making a particular mention to those having sent their contributions from the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Burewala and Sibi. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, an icon in the field of library science, has urged fellow professionals to avail the opportunity of having their writings published in Adab-o-Kutub Khana whose ninth edition will be sent to press later this year.