The crises don’t stop there. The library is sorely understaffed. Thirteen of the 28 library officer and staff positions are currently vacant. There is no proper server network for its operations coupled with poor internet connection. Scanners and photocopiers are also out of service, rendering the entire establishment virtually dysfunctional.

A library nearly six decades old, with a collection of 127,000 books. An average of 150 readers every day, studying intently with breathtaking silence in the spacious reading room.

But what are they reading?

This is where the shock comes in. Such a rich divisional library, but readers are only there to study the working guides – a recent visit by this correspondent to the Khulna divisional government public library revealed.

Immamul Haque Masuk, a BL College graduate and job seeker, goes to the library to prepare for employment exams. He is accompanied every day by his 10 friends from the Mujgunni region.

“It’s not possible for us to buy all the job aid books. So coming to the library is always the best option. I can also read several magazines,” Masuk said.

Labonno Mondal, also a BL College graduate and job seeker, who has been a regular visitor to the library for a year and a half, echoed her.

The library – a two-story 31,000 square foot building – stands on the corner of the Boyra College intersection on the city’s Upper Jashore Road.

Established in 1964 and promoted to divisional public library status in 1982, the institution’s catalog indicates that it currently has 87,000 Bengali and 38,000 English books in stock.

However, 14,000 of them are missing and 8,000 are badly damaged.

The number of general readers has dropped significantly, which has made way for job seekers to come and fulfill their mission at the library. The library has 210 registered members who are allowed to take books home.

Not even an average reader has done that in quite a while.

Library authorities are also stocking different post exam books to accommodate this as confirmed by Md Ahsan Ullah, Senior Librarian and Deputy Headmaster.

“Otherwise, we will also lose the remaining readers. Job seekers are currently the main beneficiaries of settlement,” he said.

Anwarul Kadir, a former professor at Government Sundarban Adarsha College and a civil society leader, told this correspondent about the dilapidated state of the library building, with no foreseeable renovation efforts.

“The window panes break. The roof leaks when it rains.”

“The building was declared at risk 10 years ago by the public works department. The design does not allow vertical extension. The authority must find a solution,” Kadir added.

The crises don’t stop there. The library is sorely understaffed. Thirteen of the 28 library officer and staff positions are currently vacant. There is no proper server network for its operations coupled with poor internet connection. Scanners and photocopiers are also out of service, rendering the entire establishment virtually dysfunctional.

Meanwhile, the rich original collection continues to rot.

Books are not stored properly, leaving room for damage. During the visit to the library, this correspondent found piles of books piled up in disarray, with a thick layer of dust on top.

This correspondent saw hundreds of torn books strewn on the floor, while the writings of many books almost disappeared.

A book titled “Baruni Baran” was seen in the middle of a shelf, completely unreadable. While this correspondent was trying to make sense of the book, it was seen that the book was published in 1964 from Kolkata.

Another book, “Baspio Baborohider Proti Upodesh”, was at least over a century old.

“We have repeatedly informed the higher authorities about the problems. They are planning to demolish the old building and build a new nine-story building with modern facilities,” Ahsan Ullah said.