Int. Libr. Rev.

(1971) 3, 349-352

Secondary School Libraries

in Pakistan
M U M T A Z A. ANWAR'["

INTRODUCTION
It has been said that a nation's production and consumption of books is
likely to be a very good index of its general stage of social and economic
development. 1 In fact, the economically poor nations are poorer in
book consumption and are generally among the lowest in literacy.
Quite recently mass illiteracy has attracted world attention and is being
attacked through national literacy campaigns in m a n y developing
countries. The success of these programmes, however, very much depends
on the availability of and public access to purposeful reading materials.
It is unfortunate that the school and public libraries which help in im-
parting and sustaining education lack appropriate recognition in the
literacy programmes.
During the last 20 years there has been a substantial increase in the
number of schools and student enrolement in Pakistan. This growth,
however, has had limited effect on the literacy figures which stand at
18.8% (age 15 and over). The percentage of school-age children en-
rolled in schools and the dropout rate has a lot to do with this situation.
39 % of school-age children enter the elementary schools and only one-
fourth of them complete the fifth grade3 A large number of them
discontinue their studies beyond the primary stage. The absence of libra-
ries both in and outside the school makes this situation worse. The chil-
dren neither acquire the reading habit at school nor maintain it after
they have left. Most of these children relapse into illiteracy after a few
years.
Libraries in the elementary schools of Pakistan are practically non-
existent. Secondary school libraries, though not entirely lacking, are in
I" 340 North Craig St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15213, U.S.A.
1 R. E. Hiebert (ed.) (1964) Books in Human Development, p. 11. WashingtonD.C.: The
AmericanUniversity.
UNESCO RegionalOfficefor Educationin Asia,Bangkok(1969).Progress of Education in
the Asian Region: a StatisticalReview, pp. 71, 97, 111.Bangkok:UNESCO.
350 M.A. ANWAR
general poorly stocked, poorly organized, and very little used. Scarcity
of financial resources and inadequate supply of suitable materials are
generally advanced as the main reasons for the underdevelopment of
school libraries.
Shortage of funds, no doubt a major problem, does not in itselfjustify
the development of one and the negligence of another aspect of the
educational process. The other argument has been pushed rather too
far. In 1965 the National Book Centre of Pakistan published a bibli-
ography of children's books in Urdu listing 1282 titles.This listincludes
only 55 direct translations from other languages. I Whereas the Franklin
Book Programs operating in Pakistan since 1954 has sponsored the
translation of 159 titles into Urdu for school and village libraries up to
June 1969. 2 The National Book Centre list, if brought up to date and
made more comprehensive, can provide an adequate and fairly repre-
sentative basic collection for school libraries in West Pakistan.

PRESENT SITUATION

During the Second Five Year Plan (1960-65) the Government of Pakis-
tan developed 43 pilot secondary schools to serve as models in secondary
education, especially regarding the diversification of curricula, modern
methods of instruction, and better laboratory and library facilities.
These schools claim better libraries as compared to the general secondary
schools. In 1967 the Department of Library Science, University of the
Punjab, Lahore, conducted a survey of pilot school libraries in West
Pakistan. A brief discussion of data collected follows.
Twenty-one replies were received in answer to the questionnaires sent
to 23 schools. Nineteen libraries indicated their collections which ranged
from 1400 to 14,000 volumes. The number of volumes per student varied
from 7"2 to 9.2. The survey indicated that only four schools had trained
librarians. Other libraries were staffed with teachers who had attended a
one-week or a few weeks' workshop arranged by the Education Exten-
sion Centre, Lahore, or some other agency. Out of 19 libraries which re-
ported their budgets four did not spend anything on book purchases
during that year. The expenditure of other libraries varied from 40.65
to 10,000 rupees. 3 (It may be pointed out that the maximum budget
reported was an exceptional situation which resulted from an unusual
grant.) Per student expenditure varied between 0.08 and 7.70 rupees
1 Pakistan. National Book Centre (1965). Children's Books in Urdu (title translated by the
writer). Karaehi : National Book Centre.
Franklin Book Programs (1969). Annual Reportfor the Year Ended june 30, 1969, p. 23. New
York.
8 One Pakistani rupee is equal to about U.S. $0.21.
 SECONDARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN P A K I S T A N 351

respectively. The amount of library space ranged from 480 to 1800 ft 2.

Number of seats provided in the library varied from 28 to 65 which
covered about 4 to 6"5 % of the student population.

PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT

The condition of pilot school libraries which in itself is discouraging gives

an idea of the appalling situation in general schools. National educational
plans and literacy programmes will be meaningless unless this situation
is corrected. And it must be done without further delay.
Adequate library service must provide for a basic collection of ma-
terials, staff, recurring book budget, and properly equipped space. In
the following paragraphs we will discuss these essentials in the form of
minimum quantitative standards. The proposals made are very modest
especially when compared with the standards obtaining in advanced
countries. But in the circumstances as they are it would be unrealistic
to expect too much. The standards suggested are designed for an average
size secondary school (grades VI-X) with a student population of about
250.
A basic collection of appropriate materials is essential for any new
library. The library of an average school should start with about 1250
volumes or five volumes per student. An annual addition of 250 volumes
or one book per student should be ensured for the growth of an adequate
and up to date collection. This will only be possible if recurring grant is
made available each year. It is proposed that an average school should
receive an annual grant of 625 rupees for the purchase of reading materi-
als, or should spend 2.50 rupees per student. This amount will enable
the library to add approximately one book for each student as proposed
earlier.1
A well-selected and valuable collection of books is not a sufficient
substitute for a trained librarian. The librarY of an average school should
be staffed with at least one professional librarian, one clerk, and one
attendant. The curriculum of the present diploma offered by the uni-
versities is not designed to meet the needs of school libraries. It is pro-
posed that the universities offer another diploma course for school
librarians which should lay equal emphasis on both l i b r a ~ science and
education.~

1 6 8 ~ of Pakistan's books are priced at 3 rupees and below. CENTO (1966). Book Pro-
duction, Importation and Distribution in Pakistan, p. 48. Oster Bay, N.Y. : State University of New
York.
For details of this proposal see: Mumtaz A. Anwar (1968). Educating Librarians: Prob-
lems and Prospects. J. Pakistan Libr. Assoc. 2, 95-99.
352 M.A. ANWAR
An average school should provide about 3000 ft 2 of space with seating
arrangements for 20% of its students. The proposed space should be
enough for shelving and servicing a collection of about 5000 volumes.
Separate capital grants for an initial book collection and building and
furnishing of libraries should be sanctioned from the development funds.

UNESCO RECOMMENDATIONS
In September 1968 a meeting of experts organized by UNESCO recom-
mended that "at least 2" 1% of the secondary education budget be ap-
propriated for school libraries". I In 1965 Pakistan spent 105,882,000
rupees on 8816 educational institutions at the secondary level with
1,244,225 students. The 2.1% of this amount would have provided
252.21 rupees for each school library or 1.78 rupees for each student, z
It would appear that the proposals made in this paper exceed the
UNESCO recommendations. In fact it is not so. In an earlier document
UNESCO recommended that the allocations for the educational sector in
a developing country should be in the neighbourhood of 4 % of its gross
national product. In 1965 Pakistan spent only 1.8% of its GNP on edu-
cation. A recent government policy document has proposed that the
allocation to education should be gradually raised to 3.3 % of the GNP
by 1980. 8 If this proposal is accepted the amount provided under the
UNESCO recommendation for school libraries will be close to the one
proposed by the present writer.
Formulation of standards alone does not guarantee library develop-
ment. The acceptance of the library as an essential part of the school is
the heart of the matter. It is said that success breeds success. If the
educational authorities accept the need and desirability of a school
library, half the problem is solved. Until this recognition has been
achieved, school libraries will continue to starve.

1 Book Development Planning in Asia (1969). UNESCO Bull. Libr. 23, 104.
Based on figures given in: Progressof Education in the Asian Region, pp. 142, 164.
a Pakistan. Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (1969). Proposalsfor a New
EducationalPolicy, p. 49. Islamabad.