26 of 28 Librarian Posts at Public Libraries Vacant in Punjab

The 14 public libraries in the districts across Punjab are in crisis due to a shortage of librarians.

- Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar

FEROZEPUR: According to official data, 26 of the 28 sanctioned librarian posts across the state are vacant, with the last recruitment having taken place in 1998.

The MM Central State Library in Patiala, one of the significant knowledge centers in the state, has seven sanctioned librarian posts, but all are vacant. After the librarian retired in 2019, the Patiala library's additional charge was handed over to the Amritsar librarian, who also retired in 2023. The library is functioning with the help of attendants and subordinate staff.

Similarly, district libraries in Amritsar, Faridkot, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Nabha, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Sangrur, and Fatehgarh Sahib also have vacant posts of librarians.

An official with the director of public instructions (higher education), who didn't wish to be named, said since 2014 most of the public libraries have been working without a librarian.