Bhubaneswar: As Bhubaneswar strengthens its reputation as an education hub, the city’s public libraries are facing mounting pressure from a growing number of students and competitive examination aspirants seeking affordable and quiet study spaces.
Major government-run libraries, including the Harekrushna Mahatab State Library, Santhakabi Bhima Bhoi Library, Jayadev Bhawan Library, and the Sahid Nagar Integrated Public Services Centre Library, are grappling with limited seating capacity, outdated book collections and inadequate infrastructure.
Students preparing for competitive examinations say they often arrive early in the morning to secure a seat, with some forced to wait outside libraries due to overcrowding. The Jayadev Bhawan Library, established in 1976, has a seating capacity of only around 200 readers, leaving many students to study in corridors or nearby open spaces when the library reaches full capacity.
Among the city’s major public libraries, the Harekrushna Mahatab State Library accommodates around 600 readers, while the Santhakabi Bhima Bhoi Library has 220 seats and the Sahid Nagar Integrated Public Services Centre Library can accommodate only 30 readers at a time.
Accessibility remains another major concern. Students residing in areas such as Patia, Khandagiri and Dumduma say most public libraries are concentrated in central Bhubaneswar, making daily travel both time-consuming and expensive.
To address these challenges, the Odisha government has announced plans to digitise major public libraries and establish new libraries across all four zones of Bhubaneswar. The initiative is expected to improve access to learning resources and provide better study infrastructure for the city’s growing student population.
-OdishaAge
