Library Promotion Bureau celebrates glories of its founder

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), serving the profession of library and information sciences besides promoting scholastic activities in Pakistan for the past 51 years, celebrated the glories of its founder, Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, in a simple but graceful ceremony at its office in Federal-B-Area, Karachi, on March 11. 

The LPB Founder President, who is also an ex-chairperson, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Karachi, had returned a few days ago after having undertaken a tour of the upcountry regions where he was showered with accolades. 

The LPB, founded in 1966, has renewed the pledge to continue working with the same missionary zeal to achieve their cherished goal of popularizing library culture in the country as the way forward was discussed and deliberated to build on the momentum of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the bureau which was celebrated with great fervor in 2016. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, who has been driving force in furthering the cause spearheaded by her mentor and teacher for the last many years, hoped that the bureau will continue working with the usual passion in future too as a number of publications were in pipeline and quite a few library professions were eager to have their works published from the platform of the LPB. 

The luncheon meeting was also attended by Dr Nasreen Shagufta, Dr Amna Khatoon, Prof Liaquat Ali Khan, Abdul Samad Ansari, Shamim Farooqui, Syed Ahmed Naqvi and Syed Khalid Mahmood. 

Giving an account of his latest sojourn during which he visited the premier educational institutions of Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur, Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari expressed his satisfaction with the efforts being made to raise the standard of library education. 

“It’s very heartening indeed that the Library and Information Science departments at the various universities are keeping pace with the times and they are adopting the latest methods to engage their students in research and higher studies. Having said that I have tried to convince them to also train their students in carrying out their responsibilities in a more responsible manner when stepping into practical life,” he remarked. 

“The librarians have to learn to play a much more effective role while discharging their duties. They have to be taught to be proactive rather than reactive. It’s a profession which could be very challenging and enlightening if practiced in letter and spirit,” he elaborated. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari was recently honoured by the University of Punjab in Lahore, the Islamia University in Bahawalpur and the Agricultural University in Faisalabad. The heads of the departments, while presenting him shields, praised him wholeheartedly for his monumental contribution to the profession for more than six decades. 

He made a particular mention of Prof Dr Kanwal Ameen, Chairperson, Information Department, University of Punjab, and Prof Dr Rubina Bhatti, Chairperson, Library & Information Science Department, Islamia University, for having showered him with praise and affection.