What is a Park
According to Collins Dictionary , A park is a public area of land with grass and trees, usually in a town, where people go in order to relax and enjoy themselves. There are ten types of Parks:
⦁ Urban Parks : a type of park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation
⦁ National Parks: a natural park developed and preserved by the federal government
⦁ Town Square Parks : typically situated in the center of a town
⦁ State Parks: State parks are under the administrative governance of each state
⦁ Active Parks e.g playgrounds, ball fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums
⦁ Passive Parks : open space and provides for the preservation of the natural environment
⦁ Amusement Parks: with diverse attractions, such as rides & games entertainment events
⦁ Pocket Parks They are often built on tiny, irregular public or private property,
⦁ Water Parks ,water play areas such as water slides, swimming pools, water playgrounds
⦁ Linear Parks,that run beside canals, rivers, streams, defense walls, motorways
Each park has a unique purpose within its communities but commonly aims to provide recreation. Parks’ purposes are to establish the biological, geological, and cultural importance of nations and protect its people’s biodiversity. Parks are sources of recreation, education, and science for the public.
What is a Library
Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (ODLIS) explained that “Library — from the Latin liber, meaning “book.” In Greek and the Romance languages, the corresponding term is bibliotheca. A collection or group of collections of books and/or other print or nonprint materials organized and maintained for use (reading, consultation, study, research, etc.)
Types of Libraries
There are numerous types of Libraries, these are :
National Library
A national library is that library which has the duty of collecting and preserving the literature of the nation within and outside the country. Thus, national libraries are those libraries whose community is the nation at large. Examples include the British Library in London, Library of Congress USA.
Academic Library
Academic libraries serve colleges and universities, their students, staff and faculty. Larger institutions may have several libraries on their campuses dedicated to serving particular schools such as law and science libraries. Many academic librarians become specialists in an area of knowledge and can have faculty status.
Public Library
Public libraries serve communities of all sizes and types. Wherever you live, there’s bound to be a local public library nearby! As the name implies, public libraries serve the general public, “from cradle to grave” as more than one public librarian has been heard to say. Public libraries often have departments that focus on areas of service, such as youth, teens and adults. Public Libraries are further divided into Large Public Libraries , Mid-size Libraries , Small and Rural Libraries
School Library
School libraries are usually part of a school system, and serve students between Kindergarten and grade 12. Many are called media centers, and librarians are often required to have a second degree in education or a certificate in school media.
Special Library
Special libraries offer unique opportunities to work in a specialized environment of interest, such as corporations, hospitals, the military, museums, private businesses, and the government. Special libraries can serve particular populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped, while others are dedicated to special collections, such as the Library of Congress or a presidential library.
What is a Park Library
A Library established in the premises of Park where people of different ages use these printed and non-printed for study, research, reference and recreation purposes.
DHA Park Library
The purpose of DHA Park library is to serve the community resides in DHA 2 with printed and non-printed material withhold in the library.
The purpose of Park Library
The primary purpose of the Park library is to provide resources and services in a variety of media to meet the needs of individuals and groups for education, information and personal development including recreation and leisure. They have an important role in the development and maintenance of a democratic society by giving the individual access to a wide and varied range of knowledge, ideas and opinions. Some other purpose of Park Libraries Includes:
1. Education
‘Supporting both individual and self conducted education as well as formal education at all levels.’
2. Information
‘The park library is the local centre of information making all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users.’
3. Personal development
‘Providing opportunities for personal creative development
4. Children and young people
‘Creating and strengthening reading habits in children from an early age.’
5. Freedom of information
‘Collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures.’
Why to establish a Park library
⦁ It should be a safe place for social community.
⦁ A place with proper light and ventilation.
⦁ A place where reading materials are placed for visitors in organized manner.
⦁ Visitor should be able to reach library materials easily and the materials should be visible to them.
⦁ Interior of the library should be colorful with posters, plans and charts. There should be a place for display of Students’s creative art work, poems and essays etc
⦁ It should be a place where facilities are available for visitors to participate in discussions, seminars etc.
⦁ Reading Room should be open to general people throughout the week. Library Opening hours should be displaced outside the library near the entrance.
⦁ It should be a place where almost all people to obtain library services easily
⦁ A place where Parents and teachers should provide resources and services and participate in the library activities
⦁ It should be a place managed by a “trained teacher librarian”.
⦁ It should be a place where rights of the visitor are protected, and promote the concept of Child participation. There should be a suggestion box in the park library to get the suggestions and ideas how to improve the library and its services
⦁ The services offered to people should be depicted in the “Mission Statement of the Park Library.
Resources in the library
Resources inside the library includes (1) Printed and (2) Non Printed Material
⦁ The print material includes the books, periodicals, newspapers and reference books.
⦁ The non-print material includes the audio-visual materials and electronic materials.
Services within the Park Library
Following services are offered by the Park library:
⦁ Circulation (Issue/Return)
⦁ Article index of selected periodicals.
⦁ Compilation of specialized bibliographies on demand.
⦁ Weekly display of new arrivals.
⦁ Inter Library Loan and Inter Library Reference Services.
⦁ Reprographic services Photocopy and Printing services
⦁ Reference files of selected topics.
⦁ Library orientation to fresh members.
⦁ Supply of handout to guide the users for the use of library.
⦁ Facility to reserve books.
⦁ Membership to external users.
⦁ Individual attention and help to the users to locate their required reading material.
⦁ Display of prospectus for various courses of national and international universities.
⦁ Current awareness service to members through email
⦁ SMS for messaging to members.
⦁ Display of Course Reference Collection
⦁ Exhibitions at the library
⦁ Lecture series
⦁ Film Screenings
⦁ Newsletter
⦁ Book Launches
⦁ Internet Services
⦁ Study Cabin
Sources of Funds for Park Library
Park libraries can get funds from the following sources −
⦁ National funds that are distributed to states or provinces.
⦁ The municipal corporation gives municipal funds to public library, which were generated from car parking, taxes, and other tools of revenue generation. The librarians need to apply for these funds.
⦁ Sometimes, funds are raised in-house by conducting auctions for sale of knowledge resources.
Ways of Fundraising
⦁ The library managers need to chalk out an effective resource mobilizing strategy and execute it efficiently to raise funds for the library. The following are some ways of resource mobilization
⦁ Contacting a donor agency for financial support.
⦁ Conducting fundraising programs and events, inviting guests to attend and request donations for the library.
⦁ Keeping donation boxes at the happening places such as banks, social gatherings, and other public areas to request for donation. This practice generates smaller amount, but it is appreciable.
⦁ Setting collection points for the donations in kind such as furniture, vehicles, stationery, and tools.
⦁ Requesting for volunteer support for library from colleges and schools.
⦁ Fundraising from selling a publication, and offering buying schemes.
⦁ Private donations, which are given by the charity services and interested individuals.
Selection of Resources
The key to success is selecting the right resources because teachers and students will find what they want and keep using the library. The library must find a balance between enriching and supporting and meeting the recreational reading needs of common people. It should aim to inspire and challenge students with new authors, genres and areas of interest. The collection should accommodate the varied cultures and abilities of students. Selection of resources needs to be planned and should be based on:
⦁ Community priorities.
⦁ The available budget.
⦁ Evaluation of the existing collection to identify areas requiring additional resources. Library staff should maintain a consideration file of topics, authors and genres for inclusion.
⦁ Recognized selection criteria.
⦁ The library’s collection development policy.
⦁ Replacement of lost or damaged items.
⦁ Suggestions from staff and students.
The writer is Deputy Director Library at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, he can be reached at abidhussain@issi.org.pk
The Global News Pakistan does not take ay position on issues and the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global News Pakistan and its staff.
