Woodburn Public Library
[source: Daily Star]

No move yet to salvage Bogra old books
Staff Correspondent, Bogra

There is no move yet to salvage more than 17 thousand old books and manuscripts facing decay in the old building of Bogra Woodburn Public Library.

During a recent visit, this correspondent saw old manuscripts kept in a damp room where cracks have developed in the walls and plasters are falling out while the new building is too small to accommodate the original library resources.

Only Tk 15 thousand could have saved the ancient manuscripts that are lying in the old library, schoolteacher Shyamal Bhattacharya, a former member of the library management committee lamented.

In 2004, following the establishment of "Government Woodburn Public Library" on Edward Park premises, the old library management committee was dissolved as the library along with its collections was to be merged with the new one.

But the collection of the old library -- over 17,000 books and manuscripts including a number of over a century old books and 200 to 300-year old handwritten scripts -- are yet to be shifted to the new building as there is not sufficient space.

A recent inquiry has revealed the existence of an over 300-year-old manuscript, library sources said.

Former secretary of the dissolved library committee Shamsul Alam said they informed the district administration about three years ago that the ancient scripts were not being preserved for want of funds. But the district administration is yet come up with any positive response. Bogra deputy commissioner said the district administration has decided to preserve soon all the handwritten scripts and other old books by modern methods.

At least 7,000 valuable books and a large number of manuscripts were lost since the Liberation War, library sources said.

The library was established in 1853 during the British rule with a view to encouraging reading habit among the local people.