Punjab Public Library, Lahore, was established by order No. 2798 dated 8 November 1884 of the lieutenant governor of the Punjab, in the Home General Department. It has been registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
The library began operations in the Baradari Wazir Khan, an imperial building of great historical importance built by Nawab Wazir Khan, the governor of Lahore, during Emperor Shahjahan’s reign with the assistance of the government of the Punjab. Its main purpose is to be a public library and reading room for use by all classes of people without discrimination as to religion, sex, race or creed.
Other library blocks were built in 1939, and a block housing the auditorium and Bait-ul-Quran section was constructed in 1968 and inaugurated by General Mohammad Musa, then governor of West Pakistan.
The Punjab Public Library, Lahore, lies in the heart of the city of Lahore at Library Road near the Lahore museum, off Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. It is surrounded by well known educational institutions and the Punjab University (Old Campus). The commercial centre of Anarkali, the main offices of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (Town Hall) and the provincial government offices, i.e., the Civil Secretariat, are a short distance from this building. Thus the Punjab Public Library, Lahore, is centrally situated; it has a congenial atmosphere for quiet and peaceful study.
The Punjab Public Library, Lahore, holds a rare collection of books in all fields of knowledge in English, Urdu, Persian, Arabic and Punjabi. Its total collection is about 0.3 million volumes and includes books, bound volumes of back numbers of magazines/ newspapers, reports, the old gazettes of Punjab, Pakistan and undivided India, and more than 1500 manuscripts. The library receives 170 magazines, 24 journals by subscription and the rest as complimentary copies. 12 dailies are received in the library.
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The aims and objects of the institution are:-
1. To provide a public library for the use of all classes of people in the province which shall contain official publications as well as general literature, both Oriental and Occidental.
2. To provide a reading room which shall be open to the public, free of charge.
3. To contribute to the intellectual advancement of the country.
4. To render accessible at one place valuable information that may be required for provincial historical research, or for any other enquiry that depends upon records rather than upon experience.
5. To provide, on an adequate scale, for the public, means of general reading in various fields of literature and popular science.
The Punjab Public Library, Lahore, is under the administrative control of the Education Department, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. The Punjab government, vide notification No.SO(A-IV)2-24/2009 dated 25.02.2010, has constituted the following board of governors of the Government Punjab Public Library, Lahore, under the Punjab Government Educational and Training Institutions Ordinance, 1860 (West Pakistan Ordinance No.XI of 1960):-
| Chief Secretary Punjab, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | (Chairman) |
| Secretary Higher Education Department, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | Official Member |
| Secretary School Education Department, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | -do- |
| Secretary Finance, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | -do- |
| Secretary Information, Culture & Youth Affairs Department, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | -do- |
| Director General, Public Libraries, Punjab, Lahore. | -do- |
| Director, Local Fund Audit, Government of the Punjab, Lahore. | -do- |
| Dr. Khalid Mehmood, Chairman, Library Science Department, University of the Punjab, Lahore. | Non-Official Member |
| Mr. Inayat Ullah, retired Federal Secretary, 78/5, Muneer Road, Lahore Cantt. | -do- |
| Mr. Mian Allah Nawaz, Chief Justice (R), Lahore High Court, 362-G-III, Johar Town, Lahore. | -do- |
| Mr. Khawaja Haris Ahmad, Advocate,Lahore. | -do- |
| Mr. Sohail Umar, Director Iqbal Academy, Egerton Road, Lahore. | -do- |
| Ms. Arifa Syeda Zohra, Educationist, Lahore. | -do- |
| Chief Librarian/Secretary, Government Punjab Public Library, Lahore. | Member/Secretary |
The library holdings and its reading rooms are open to all classes of people, but the borrowing facilities are provided to the members only.
| Membership Category | Security fee (Refundable) | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| General membership | Rs. 300 | Rs. 75 |
| Student membership | Rs. 100 | Rs. 20 |
| Child membership | Rs. 10 | Rs. 20 |
| Life membership | Rs. 1000 (one donation only) | Rs.- |
The library has the following sections:
Acquisition section
This section is used for acquiring books for the library from booksellers. The selection of books is made by a book purchase committee which also includes subject specialists. Readers’ suggestions are given due consideration when purchasing books for the library. A book selection policy is followed for the purchase of books, and government procedures are followed for payment of the bills. Books are accessioned here, payments are made and the accessioned material is then sent to the technical section for processing. Suggestion books to be used for suggesting books for the library or making other proposals are provided.
Technical section
In this section the books and other material received from the acquisition section are provided with necessary labels and stamps and then are classified and catalogued. D.D.C. 20th Edition is used for subject analysis while A.A.C.R-2 is followed for cataloguing. Cards are typewritten. Reference material is kept in the reference section and all other books are sent to the relevant library shelves for circulation.
Circulation section
On the first floor of the English section there is an English counter at which books for home study are issued and received back. Oriental language books are issued at the counter in the Oriental section. Approximately 250 books are issued or received back at these counters every day.
Reference section
This is a section of the library frequented by students, research scholars and the public throughout the library working hours. It contains general reference works such as encyclopaedias, dictionaries, yearbooks, directories, almanacs, atlases, gazetteers, etc. along with reference works in various subject fields. People also use this section for obtaining general information about specific needs. The official gazettes of Punjab and Pakistan kept in this section are important sources of information for many people of the city and rural areas of various districts of Punjab. Bound files of different newspapers in this section also attract many people daily for information and research.
This section also serves its readers by providing census reports, patents and designs, back numbers of English magazines including important journals and current and past departmental reports not to be found anywhere else. This section is also very useful for students preparing for such competitive examinations as CSS and PCS. The section is staffed by qualified library professionals and information specialists.
The Bait-ul-Quran
This section of the library was established in 1968 by Mr. Mukhtar Masood, then commissioner of the Lahore Division, and inaugurated by then governor of West Pakistan, General Muhammad Musa. It contains unique manuscripts of the Holy Quran, some dating back to 500 years. This section houses a large number of copies of handwritten and printed Holy Qurans collected from all over Pakistan, e.g., the photocopies of the Quran remained under recitation of Usman Ghani, Amam Jaffer Sadiq, Molana Rom, Tipu Sultan and a hand written Quran by Aurangzeb Alamgir, Emperor of India. Translations and commentaries of the Holy Quran in different languages and other Quranic Literature are all placed in this section for the use of research scholars. A unique mural painting by an eminent and well known artist of Pakistan, Mr. Shakir Ali, depicts Quranic Ayats in fine calligraphy and decorates this section.
Children section
A separate children section was established in March 1982. New reading material comprising illustrated books, children encyclopaedias and dictionaries, science and adventure books, illustrated fiction, biographies, historical and Islamic books, books on Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, as well as on Pakistan, both in English and Urdu languages, as well as other books for children have been added to this section. At present there it contains about 6,000 volumes and a large number of students use this section.
Oriental section
The section has about 0.125 million volumes in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Punjabi, Pushto, Sindhi, Balochi, etc.
The Oriental section is a busy section. Its reading hall is always packed with readers. Some rare books possessed by this section have been very carefully bound in cloth and leather. The building has now fallen short of its requirements with respect to additional books and the increasing number of readers .
Computer section and e-library
The computer section of the library was established in 1993 and became functional in 1996. A catalogue of all the books available in the library has been computerized and readers have been provided browsing facility on computers.
Internet service is provided to the public at a nominal charge of Rs. 10/- per hour. CD writing and printing is also available in this section. Approximately ____ readers use internet service per annum.
AVA Section
This section contains microfilm readers, microfilm reader/printers, TV and VCR equipment with more than 600 video films available on different subjects. An LCD TV has also been provided in this section by courtesy of the Punjab Library Foundation.
Other sections of the library are the:
(x) Bindery
(xi) Account section
(xii) Hindi, Gurumukhi, Sanskrit section
(xiii) Records section
(xiv) Gazetteer/gazette, report section
(xv) Old newspaper & magazine section
(xvi) Braille section
Special collections which have been donated by eminent persons are as follows:
Riffat Sultana Memorial Collection
This is the largest collection donated to this library by any individual. Dr. Mumtaz Hassan, a well known scholar and governor, State Bank of Pakistan, has donated about 9,000 volumes to the library in the memory of his daughter, Riffat Sultana. This collection has been placed in a separate section known as the Riffat Sultana Memorial Collection. It has been functioning in the library since 1963.
Prof. Abdul Qadir Collection
Mulana Muhammad Ali Qasuri Collection
Abdul Hamid Collection
Dr. Azhar Ali Collection
Book reservation
Books can be reserved in both the English and Oriental sections of the library. As soon as a book which has been reserved is received back in the library, the borrower is informed of its availability.
Photocopying
The library has two photocopying machines for providing readers with photocopies of required material.
Library catalogue
Dictionary catalogues have been provided for the English and Oriental sections as well as the other collections of the library. Books can be searched by consulting the catalogues for authors, titles or subjects. The computerized catalogue is also available at the circulation desk.
Reader/reference services
Reader/reference assistance is available for students, readers and research scholars to assist them in obtaining required material in a minimal time.
Cultural activities
In order to make the library a hub of cultural activities, a series of lectures has been started on educational, literary, Islamic and library topics for readers, students and scholars. Eminent scholars and persons of repute are invited to deliver these lectures, which are well attended.
The library observes the following working hours:-
| Monday to Saturday | 0800 to 1900 hrs. |
| Friday | Break for prayer 1200 to 1500 hrs. |
| Sunday | Closed |
During the month of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, the library remains open from 0800 hours to 1600 hours.
Every two years the library is engaged in stocktaking in the month of August. During this month the library remains closed for readers, but the reading room is open from 0800 hours to 1300 hours so they can access journals and current newspapers.
For arrangement of reading material the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme is followed in the library. The 19th edition of this scheme is being used at present along with AACR2 and the 15th edition of the Sears List of Subject Headings. Sometimes a number which is difficult to build from 19th edition is built from the 20th edition.
The Punjab government provides an annual grant-in-aid amounting to Rs. 16 million. The other sources of income include nominal membership fees, etc.
| Name | Designation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Lt. Col. E.G. Wace | Senior Financial Commissioner | 1884–1888 |
| Dr. W.H. Rattigan, Barrister at Law | Judge, Chief Court Punjab | 1888–1900 |
| Rai Bahadur Sir P. Chatterjee | Judge, Chief Court Punjab | 1900–1917 |
| Mr. Justice Sir Shadi Lal | Chief Judge High Court, Punjab | 1917–1933 |
| Mr. Justice Kanwar Dalip Singh | Judge, High Court, Punjab | 1933–1947 |
| Mian Bashir Ahmad | Editor, Hamayun | 1947–1949 |
| Mr. Justice S.A. Rahman | Judge, High Court, Lahore | 1949–1956 |
| Mian Bashir Ahmad | Editor, Hamayun | 1956–1966 |
| Mr. Mukhtar Masood | Commissioner, Lahore | 1966–1969 |
| Malik Abdul Latif Khan | Secretary Education,Government of the Punjab | 1969–1970 |
| Dr. Z.A.Hashmi | -do- | 1969–1970 |
| Mr. Namdar Khan | -do- | 1970–1972 |
| Prof. M. Rashid | -do- | 1972–1975 |
| Dr. M. Tariq Siddiquei | -do- | 1975-1975 |
| Prof. M. Rashid | -do- | 1975–1977 |
| Mr. Muhammad Siddiq Chaudhry | -do- | 1977–1978 |
| Mr. M.H. Jafry | -do- | 1978-1978 |
| Prof. Abdul Qayyum Qureshi | -do- | 1978-1978 |
| Brig. Muhammad Ikram Amin | -do- | 1978–1980 |
| Mr. Muhammad Azhar | -do- | 1980-1980 |
| Mr. Muhammad Safdar Kazmi | -do- | 1980–1981 |
| Mr. Ahmad Sadik | -do- | 1981–1984 |
| Syed Asad Ali Shah | -do- | 1984-1984 |
| Karamat Ali Khan | -do- | 1984–1986 |
| Haji Muhammad Akram | -do- | 1986–1987 |
| Mr. Jiwan Khan | -do- | 1987–1988 |
| Sheikh Zahoor-ul-Haq | -do- | 1988–1989 |
| Mr. Tariq Sultan | -do- | 1989–1991 |
| Mr. Ameenullah Chaudhry | -do- | 1991–1992 |
| Mr. Tanvir Ahmad Khan | -do- | 1992–1996 |
| Mr. Tasneem Noorani | -do- | 1996–1997 |
| Dr. Shazad Qaisar | -do- | 1997–2000 |
| Mr. Kamran Rasul | -do- | 2000–2001 |
| Mr. Sibtain Fazal Halim | -do- | 2001–2003 |
| Mr. Khushnood Akhtar Lashari | -do- | 2003- |
| Name | Designation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Lala Kirpa Ram | Librarian | 1886–1913 |
| Lala Labhu Ram | Librarian | 1913–1921 |
| Mr. Vidya Saggar Gorawara | Librarian | 1921–1923 |
| Lala Ram Labhaya | Librarian | 1923–1947 |
| Khawaja Nur Elahi | Librarian | 1947–1966 |
| Sh. Zia-ul-Haq | Librarian | 1966–1979 |
| Mr. Muhammad Aslam | Acting Librarian | 1979-1979 |
| Mr. Abdul Nasr | Acting Librarian | 1979-1979 |
| Mr. Muhammad Riaz | Librarian | 1979–1982 |
| Mr. Muhammad Aslam | Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 1982–1988 |
| S. Maqsood Ali Kazmi | Secretary/Chief Librarian | 1988–1994 |
| Hafiz Khuda Bakhsh | Act. Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 1994–1995 |
| S. Maqsood Ali Kazmi | Secretary/Chief Librarian | 1995–1998 |
| Hafiz Khuda Bakhsh | Act.Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 1998–2000 |
| Mr. Zil-e-Hasnain | Act.Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 2000–2003 |
| Nusrat Ali Aseer | Act. Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 2003–2006 |
| Syed Asad Ali Shah 10.07.2006- | Act.Secretary/ Chief Librarian | 2006–2008 |
| Mrs. Azra Usman | Secretary/ Chief Librarian(temporary) | 2009- |