Central Library Still in Land Selection Phase / We are Pursuing the Launch of Mobile Libraries
According to the correspondent of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Gorgan, Abdolhay Mirzaali, Director General of Golestan Province’s Public Libraries, stated on Tuesday, 20th of Aban, at a press conference held on the occasion of the 33rd Book Week: “Currently, we have 69 libraries, comprising 61 institutional (26 rural and 35 urban) and 8 participatory and independent libraries. However, last year, we had 63 institutional libraries. Unfortunately, the Avicenna Library in Simin Shahr has been temporarily removed from the list due to a legal dispute (which is being resolved), and the non-profit library in Qoli Tappeh village, Kalikesh, is also currently out of service while negotiations are underway with the building owner.”
He then elaborated on the special programs planned for Book Week, alongside some notable events that have already taken place. He stated: “Looking back, and based on the urban development map of the country’s public libraries institution in the 2000s (solar calendar), all 30 provinces should have established a central library by the end of 2014 (the end of the Fifth Development Plan). To this day, this objective has not been achieved, at least for Golestan Province in Gorgan, primarily due to the failure to secure suitable and publicly accessible land.”
Abdolhay Mirzaali also added: “Unfortunately, we still lack libraries in five cities: Qaraq, Sangdevin, Tatar Olia, Golidaq, and Dozin. With the establishment of the new city of Yengaq, a district of Kalikesh, our concern regarding library shortages has now extended to six cities. Nevertheless, we are actively pursuing the establishment of libraries in all these locations.”
He also noted that their current approach is to launch mobile libraries, and efforts to realize this have been ongoing. He remarked: “In this endeavor, philanthropists in the cultural sector, the governor’s office, and various institutions and organizations can provide significant assistance. Recently, some benefactors have pledged their support, and we continue to follow up on these commitments.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Director General of Golestan Province’s Public Libraries expressed gratitude to the media and presented a plaque of appreciation for Book Week. He informed the attendees about various issues, including the per capita book reading rate, the facilities and needs of the province’s libraries, the media’s annual performance for public libraries, the unpaid half-percent shares by some provincial municipalities, and the foreseen solutions to address the library shortage in the province.
According to IBNA, the current number of active members in institutional, independent, and participatory libraries in Golestan Province exceeds 55,000. Additionally, the institutional libraries in the province hold over 830,000 volumes, and participatory and independent libraries possess over 35,000 volumes.
The annual book lending volume across the province’s libraries surpasses 700,000 copies, with 61 libraries featuring a children’s section and 2 libraries providing a section for the visually impaired.
