A book lover’s desecrated paradise

Established in 1956, the American Women of Nepal (AWON) library, was for long the favorite haunt of booklovers in Kathmandu. One of the earliest public libraries in Nepal, it nurtured generations of book-readers.

 
AWON’s popularity started to somewhat decline with easier availability of English books in Nepali markets. Moreover, all the classics could now be downloaded for free from the internet. But it was the 2015 earthquake that literally shook the foundation of AWON library. 

Following the earthquake, it had to shift from its two-story spacious location in Kupondole, opposite Hotel Himalaya, to a small corner of the Rotary Building in Tripureshwor. While in Kupondole the library used to see hundreds of visitors a day, in the new locale hardly 20 people come visit, even on Saturdays. Many are unaware of the new location. But even for those who make it to the Rotary building, finding the book they are looking for can be tough.   

“Most of the books are not indexed and arranged properly, and readers can find themselves at total loss,” says Sanjay Lamichhane who has been coming to AWON for ten years. 

“We lost many machines such as barcode readers and computers in the earthquake and the subsequent transfer of books,” says Padam Acharya, a volunteer at AWON. “It is thus difficult for us to keep track of books.” 

A group of girls from the Rato Bangla School hostel are among a handful of people who do visit the library frequently but they too have several complaints. “The library is so dirty, there is dust everywhere,” says one. Another girl says that there aren’t enough chairs and tables to accommodate all of them and they have to sit on the floor, which is seldom cleaned. Another visitor, Manoj Pant, says, “The library also does not have backup power, which can be a problem during power cuts.”

According to Acharya, the volunteer, there is an acute shortage of space. There isn’t much space for bookshelves and all the donated books are stacked randomly. Moreover, fewer and fewer volunteers are coming. “The number of volunteers that we receive has almost halved,” says Acharya, “making it difficult to index the books and 
place them right.” 

Despite these problems the visitors did point to several good points about AWON library. Lamichhane says non-fiction section is still well-equipped, and that this is still best library in town. Ujjwal Shrestha, a social studies teacher at GEMS school, agrees, and recommends the library for people of all ages. 

The RBS students were of the view that in order to boost its popularity the library could invite prominent authors to come and speak. Manoj Pant suggests coordinating with local clubs and NGOs to bring in volunteers and to raise money for machinery. One thing is certain: only extensive cooperation among book lovers from all walks of life will save this landmark library.