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Misuse of libraries in private universities

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Md Atikur Rahman:
Libraries provide an incentive to the development of education, social and cultural activities. It's a workshop for the students to accumulate knowledge and wisdom. Through its doors, everybody can step into a world of adventure. It is sometimes called a treasure house with an open door. Libraries are the life line for research and academic scholarship, not to speak of promotion of literacy and formal education.
Traditionally a library means a large collection of printed books, periodicals, journals or of any other graphic or audio-visual, reference materials and the service of a staff to provide and facilitate the use of such materials as are required to meet the information, research, and educational needs of its users.
The main function of the academic library is to serve the needs of students and faculties in formal institutions. An institution is judged by its library. The quality of the academic library is conditioned not wholly, but largely, by the quality of education the academic institution imparts, which in turn depends directly on the quality of its teachers, their teaching methods, the policy of educational administration and indirectly, on the government which has to find many for the general improvement of such academic institutions.
A university library is primarily concerned with the conservation and propagation of basic knowledge and ideas as well as their research and interpretation activities. It is at the heart of a university work. In other words, both for humanities and scientific research, a well organised library is essential.
For higher education the university is the centre of learning and the centre of intellectual activity. Hence, the duty of the university librarian is to help in the dissemination and advancement of knowledge. A university library is not only a storehouse of books, but it is a dynamic agency to assist the scholars and researchers in carrying on their pursuits in advancement of knowledge by making use of the library books extensively. It is expected to cater to the varied needs of graduates, postgraduates, research scholars and faculty members.
In today's context, most of the private universities fail to fulfill the required criteria in our country. At present private university library is probably the least visited room in a university. A large number of private university learners and scholars are not at all satisfied with the supply of research and availability of reading materials in their libraries. A good number of library users also accepted that library environment should be very calm and quiet so everyone can do their work peacefully. But these days it's impossible to concentrate on anything for too long.
Despite the signboards some students invariable forget to switch off their cell phones. Some students who came in groups start talking to each other and become a distraction for everyone close. Some couples tend to choose the library for a dating place, for reasons beyond comprehension. Some students start dragging chairs for their convenience and are completely oblivious to the noise they are creating. Eighty per cent students of private university only go to the library in their campus night before exams.
And many students have little regard for the books and magazines they borrow and mark them with pen, pencil and markers as if they were their own. Some even have the nerve to cutout parts of pages they need for themselves. Many students in a private university have extensive use and access to the library internet only for face book.
If library users and authorities become a little more conscientious, it would be much easier to avoid such nuisances for better library environment, in order to ensure its proper use.