Important Sections
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
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