The number of books students borrow from the Dhaka University Central Library witnessed a staggering 96 per cent decline in the last two decades – from 2003 to 2023.
The library issued 757,200 books in the academic year 2003-2004, but the figure is only 25,149 in the academic year 2022-23, show data obtained from the central library management.
A number of teachers and students say academic and reference books have mostly lost their demand, and the very few who borrow from the Dhaka University Central Library only take out books that can help with preparation for government jobs.
Mahbub Masum, a student of the Political Science Department of the university and President of Dhaka University Debating Society, said, “The culture of library-centric book reference for academic studies is almost non-existent nowadays.
“That is why academic studies in libraries are very rare. On the other hand, job seekers come to the library to study regularly because this place has a good environment for study.”
Masum also commented that due to the availability of PDF versions of books, the number of book borrowers has declined steadily over the years.
An analysis of data provided by the central library shows that the number of books issued was high and remarkable at the beginning of this century. As time passed, the number continued to decrease.
After the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, the number of books issued to the students almost reached zero.
In the 10 years between 2003 and 2013, the library issued 7,639,700 books to students. On average, 763,970 books were taken by students every year. At that period, the highest number of books – 811,613 – was issued in the 2010-11 academic year.
In the next 10 years, between 2014 and 2023, students borrowed 2,938,650 books, indicating that on average 293,865 books were issued by the DU central library every year. This figure is three times lower than the first ten years.
However, the library remained shut in the academic year 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Students read the highest number of books in the 2013-14 academic year when 580,906 books were borrowed. The lowest was 25,149 books in the academic year 2022-23.
Prof Kamrul Hasan Mamun of the Physics Department at Dhaka University, also an eminent educationist, said, “Very few students go to the central library. It is not acceptable at all. Besides, most of the students who actually visit the library go there for job preparation.
“The library is the heart of a university. Without the culture of reading in libraries, no nation can progress far. So, students should go to the library and read more and more books.”
Mir Nazrul Islam, who has been working as an assistant librarian at the university for 30 years, said, “In the beginning, students could only read library books in the library, and they could not bring anything with them.
“But this rule has been changed. Now students read job preparation books more than library books here. The number of student borrowers has definitely gone down over the decade.”
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal expressed dismay over the students’ reluctance to borrow books from the library. However, he thinks the number of books issued in the library has dropped as students can access many books online.
While talking with The Business Post, Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury said that without the exercise of knowledge, no nation can progress, but the percentage of the practice of knowledge has been decreasing day by day.
He has also cited several factors as the reasons behind the decrease in the ratio of the practice of learning at library.
"Because of internet, students are now reading or searching on mobile phones/computers. Secondly, financial support for knowledge practice is waning. As a result, students are studying only for jobs and finally it is true that the number of meritorious students in our country is decreasing. Now students are not involved in practicing knowledge," he added.
Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, professor at Department of International Relations of Dhaka University, said that the habit of practicing knowledge at library is not developed in a day.
“At school and college libraries in our country, a congenial environment for acquiring knowledge has not yet been developed. As a result, it puts an impact on the university library.”
