The British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Thursday announced plans to reopen the British Council Library in the city in 2014.
“I am pleased to announce that the British Council will reopen its library to the public in 2014. The library will represent the 21st century, providing access to books, digital resources, online research materials and cultural events,” said Hague at a meeting with Punjab-based teachers and trainers engaged in the British Council’s Punjab Education and English Language Initiative at the British Council offices.
“Reopening the facility will not only give Lahoris access to the wide range of reading materials available in the library, but also to cultural activities, lectures and much more,” Hague added.
The decision to reopen the library follows significant public demand for access to books and other online resources. It will also be used for public art exhibitions, meetings, lectures and trainings. It will allow for the next generation of Pakistanis to learn in a conducive environment and engage with others. The old British Council Library was long considered a cultural and intellectual fixture in the life of Lahoris and was widely missed when it closed.
The library is one in a series of planned expansions of the work of the British Council in Punjab; and further libraries may be opened in other cities. The Council will also be opening a cultural space in Karachi next year to help bring together Pakistan’s brightest and most creative minds.
