Community library's structural and institutional exploration: Sarvodaya Pustakalaya tatha vachanalaya

Abstract

A community library is established to serve specific communities. Most of the community libraries are financially supported by the community, NGOs/INGOs, etc. Sarvodaya Pustakalaya Tatha Vachanalaya is one of such community libraries. This library has been serving its community since its establishment. No matter how well these community libraries serve, they have a common problem for sustainability; hence, they are facing the question of their future continuity. It has been a dire need to investigate on how communities’ libraries are operated in a sustainable and durable manner in Nepal. Sustainability requires library operating law, institutional set-up, and perceptions of its services and functions in the community. Keeping sustainability at the center, the study has set three goals: to explore structural elements, to find out the organizational and institutional set-up, and to explore the perceptions of its services and functions in the community. This is purely qualitative research. Data is collected by using both primary and secondary sources. The finding of this research shows that the library having its own building, the interest’ of landowners’ families in upgrading and maintaining this library, the interest of conscious citizens, love for reading, periodic or yearly financial support from the municipality, people, stationary, etc., coordination within the executive members, co-ordination with the municipality and state government, reciprocal relationship between community and library, no political intervention within the institution etc. are its strong point for its sustainability and durability. Though library legislation is not formulated by Nepal, every library should have an operating rule. So that each one’s duties and responsibilities are defined and work can be carried out easily within the library