Students of Rajshahi University (RU) are losing interest to study in Central Library alleging the absence of the relevant books here while university experts claimed our educational system liable.
A few numbers of students are seen studying here in a day. According to the information of the attendance khata, on June 30, only 179 students came to study in the central library and a day before, 292 students came here to study. On Friday (June 26), only 96 students studied here.
Talking to the media, students alleged that they get their desired books and update information in central library rarely as books are not updated regularly.
Shimul Hossain, a masters student of law department said, we don’t get enough information from the books kept in library which we want.
“Almost all the books kept here are of early 19th century”, he also said.
“I went to the library few days last year to study. But I lost interest after not getting as relevant books as my demands”, he continued.
“Students or teachers or university administration are not individually liable for reducing students at central library to acquire knowledge but our whole educational system”, said Arun Kumar Bosak, professor emeritus of physics department of Rajshahi University.
Talking to the New Nation Prof Emeritus said, each departments of the university teach the students with a fixed syllabus which is rarely changed. Students select few questions from the previous examinations; answer script of those could be gotten from their senior brothers and photocopy shop. So why students would come at library?..
“Students come here for a certificate; they study for passing routine examinations. As they are not hunger for knowledge, so they have no need of coming at library”, he continued.
Bidhan Chandra Das, former administrator of central library and Prof of zoology department also admitted the comments of Prof Emeritus Arun Kumar Bosak.
He said, in short students only want to pass the routine examinations, for that purpose they could select questions from previous year and get answer script from photocopy shop and senior fellows.
“As study for passing examinations and library are not co-related, students are not coming at library”, he observed.
“If we could rearrange our syllabus each year, then students would come at library again as they would not be able to select questions from previous year and get answer script from any source”, he also observed.
In a reply, Prof Bidhan said, absence of relevant books in central library is not totally correct. Books are bought with the recommendation of the teachers from concerned departments. Information may not be gotten but the portion is very small.
He also felt necessity of making the students involved in suggesting books to collect at central library.
“Low allocation from annual budget for collecting books in library in a year is another problem in making the library ‘complete source’ of information”, Prof said.
Each year central library gets only tk. fifteen lakh from annual budget.
Contacted, Prof Shafiqunnabi Samadi, administrator of central library said, what we could be done if the students don’t come at library to study.
“We have urged the students to provide us their suggestion in collecting books for central library”, he also said.
Campus Report
