KATHMANDU, Sept. 1: Minister for Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel said on Sunday that the government is making preparations to set up well-equipped libraries at all local bodies.

“Even though Kirtipur municipality is home to the biggest university of our nation, from what we’ve seen so far, the reading culture here is very underdeveloped,” says Shankar Bhandari, an English teacher at Creative Academy. He further adds that currently, he believes, liquor stores, bars and nightclubs are places that more popular than bookstores and libraries in the municipality.

Unlike libraries in western countries, libraries in Nepal aren’t adapting to the changing times and are still stuck with functioning like a library from two decades ago. Bimala Pokharel thinks that because people value digital media and learning now more than ever, libraries should also adapt that to an extent.

KATHMANDU, Feb 12: Unlike the silent and strict periphery that it’s been known for, a library is one of the free spheres where children play, learn and grow at their comfort. Apart from the rot memorizing sessions that they go through in schools, kids require a space to unleash from the daily monotony.