No librarian: JNU library shut for last six months

The library of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) largest school—School of Languages— has been shut for the last six months due to delay in the appointment of a librarian, students said on Thursday.

The shut library is the only one for two School of Languages building — SL-1 and SL-2 — that catered to around 3,000 students.

In JNU campus, all 13 schools have their own libraries, besides the central university library. PR Nitin David, convener of the School of Languages, on Wednesday wrote to the dean of the school, University vice chancellor and chief librarian urging them to appoint a permanent librarian immediately.

“This is to inform you that SL-2 library has not been opened properly for the past one year. We have met and submitted several letters to all respective officials regarding the issue but it has not been resolved till now,” he wrote in the letter.

David said that the library’s reading room was opened by the administration for few days during the examination after students’ protest. “It was again closed after the exam. Now, the administration has put up a notice outside the library which reads that it will remain closed till further order,” he said.

Students at the School of Languages said they are facing hardships due to the closure of the library . Shweta Kashyap, a first year student of MA in Russian said that students have to sit on the floors and study during college hours in their schools because they cannot access the library.

“Even though we have the central library it remains occupied all the time by the MPhil and PhD students. Ours is the only school which offers courses from BA to PhD and the students need their own library,” she said.

Students of the School of Languages have also been demanding an increase in the sitting capacity of the library. However, nothing has been done as of now. Umair Adnan, a third-year student of BA (hons) in Russian, said, “Instead of meeting our demands by increasing the capacity of the library, the administration has closed it citing absence of a librarian.”

Syed Ainul Hasan, dean of the School of Languages, literature and cultural studies said that the administration will soon hire a librarian. “The students are making false claims that the library is shut for the last one year. We have been regularly providing them librarians on a contractual basis. Presently, we do not have a librarian but we are trying to get one soon,” he said.

First Published: Jul 25, 2019 20:56 IST