The Oxford University Press (OUP) celebrated its 60 years of publishing in Pakistan with great fanfare in the presence of distinguished academics, authors, heads of schools, colleges and universities, and many well-wishers of the publishing house. To mark this milestone, a series of events were organised at its head office here which included the inauguration of its Oxford Mobile Library and the Oxford University Press Pakistan Museum and Archives as well as the launch of its recent publication The Class Structure of Pakistan authored by Taimur Rahman.
While speaking about the Oxford Mobile Library (OML) project, Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director OUP Pakistan, said two mobile libraries had been set up with the aim of developing a library culture among underprivileged children and getting them into the habit of borrowing, reading and caring for books, returning them and borrowing more.
The OMLs would visit schools in lower-income areas and a total of 20 schools would be served by the two OMLs each week. Pupils would become members by paying Rs 10 per month which would entitle them to borrow one English and one Urdu book for two weeks.
“I am hoping that what we are initiating as the Oxford Mobile Library would be helpful in instilling a reading habit among children who have so far little exposure to books. Becoming familiar with books in an informal and pleasant environment might also encourage them to approach their schoolwork with more interest and confidence,” she added.
In her introduction about the Oxford University Press Pakistan Museum and Archives (OUPPMA), Ameena Saiyid highlighted that the project was the outcome of the awareness that history and heritage must be preserved for future generations. “The milestone of 60 years was a good time to take stock and pay tribute to those who have helped build OUP Pakistan, including its managers, staff, and authors. The project also showcases our achievements and challenges,” she said. The archives have a rich collection of letters from famous personalities and authors such as Sir Percival Spear, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ayub Khan, Olaf Caroe, and many others. Ameena Saiyid emphasized that one of the objectives of the creation of the museum was to enable students to learn about and understand the publishing process, its history and development, as well as its contribution to intellectual and cultural life.
