World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated around educational campuses and libraries of the provincial capital on Monday. Academicians and librarians enlightened students and general readers about role of books in progress of nations and importance of copyrights in seminars and walks held in connection with the day. In one of the session held in Punjab University, PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran said that only those nations ruled the world that were knowledgeable and loved books. The seminar was organised by PU Department of Library and Information Sciences (DLIS), Punjab University Library and PU Library and Information Sciences Alumni Association. Renowned columnist Hassan Nisar, Punjab Education Foundation Chairman Raja Anwar, DLIS Chairperson Prof Dr Kanwal Amin, Chief Librarian Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif, PULISAA President Shahid Saroya, librarians and a large number of students participated in the event.
Dr Kamran said all good things were associated with books and it urged human beings to think. He advised the students to adopt reading habit because quality of the people matters rather than quantity. Hassan Nisar said that books were not all about the words printed on paper but they were from earth to the whole universe. He said unfortunately, knowledge was divided into religious knowledge and non-religious knowledge. He said the downfall of the Muslims began when they denied the importance of printing press and issued Fatwah against it.
He said it was one of great intellectual deceptions that “we” ruled Spain. He said that protection of copy rights was out of question in a society where people were not being provided with their basic rights. He said books were like a water tank in homes and they were biggest supporter in crises.
PEF Chairman Raja Anwar said the culture of tolerance must be promoted in the society and book writers must be given liberty to write. DLIS Chairperson Prof Dr Kanwal Amin said according to statistics, increase in electronic and printed book trade had been witnessed as compared to the previous year in United States. She said it rebutted a misconception that the invention of internet had reduced book reading habit. She said if books were not necessary, then why Google was digitising hundreds of thousands of books? She said the only matter was promotion of study habits.
Later, “Book Lover Award” was distributed among the top ten book users of Punjab University and Raza Hameed of University Law College, Rashid Ali of College of Engineering and Emerging Technologies and Faizan Ali of Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology stood 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Earlier, a walk was held from Department of Library and Information Sciences to Institute of Education and Research and Undergraduate Study Centre.
The Government College University Library Society also observed the day by holding a number of activities. The celebrations began in the morning from the Vice Chancellor’s office where students pasted a badge of World Book Day on the shirt of Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman. GCU Chief Librarian Abdul Waheed was also present. Talking to the students, the VC lauded the selfless effort of GCU Library Society to flourish literacy for noble cause and desired that the same must be followed in rest of the institutes of the country. The Library Society also pasted badge of World Book Day on the shirts of all faculty members of GCU. A special ceremony was at the GCU Old Library where the Book Anthem was played.
