NLA to join hands with KIBF

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) has decided to join hands with the management of the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) in holding the event now rescheduled to be held at the Karachi Expo Centre from December 30 to January 3. 

A delegation of the NLA, headed by its President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, will soon be meeting the top functionaries of the KIBF to formally volunteer its services for the biggest book event of the country which is being organized after a gap of two years. The NLA desires to play its role in engaging the librarians more actively at the KIBF. 

The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Association held in Karachi on November 13. It was presided over by the NLA Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador of the KIBF, which is organized annually by the Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA), since 2005.

“As the truly representative body of the working librarians, the NLA finds itself in a good position to promote the KIBF in its fraternity to achieve our mutual goal of spreading book culture in our country,” the NLA Secretary, Anwar Hussain, remarked. 

Meanwhile the NLA, which had come into existence four years ago, has decided to commence the publication its monthly newsletter from the next month and its inaugural issue is set to be launched during the upcoming KIBF. 

Nasir Mustafa, associated with Dawn Media Group for a number of years, has been appointed the editor of the NLA Newsletter while the editorial team would be finalized soon. 

The Information Secretary of the NLA, Younis Hashmi, briefed the meeting about his last visit to Canada a few months ago during which he contacted quite a few library professionals of the Pakistan origin to solicit support for the Association. 

Hira Yaseen, Nasir Nayab, Farheen Mahmood, Huma Mannan Butt, Syeda Najma Sultana, Muhammad Sultan Ali and Abu Bakar Ghori were the other NLA members present in the meeting which lasted around a couple of hours.