Shillong, July 23: The Khasi Hill Autonomous District Council (KHADC) finally has a library. The library of the council which is located in the Legislative Building, was inaugurated by Governor, Phagu Chauhan today.
While speaking to reporters after the inauguration, KHADC CEM, Pyniaid Sing Syiem informed that it was really a great honour for the council to officially have its own library after a long wait of 73 years.
The main treasure of this library is the proceeding of the first sitting of the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Autonomous Councils which held in 1952. The other treasure of the library is the book titled “Khasia Language” written by late Rev W Pyrse which was published way in 1885.
He revealed that there was an engagement between the Executive Committee (EC) and office of the Chairman of the council for the past few months on the need to set up a full- fledged library of the council.
The KHADC CEM also revealed that the plan to expand the library is already in the pipeline since the present space is too small.
Informing that the council will earmark a budget for the expansion of the library, Syiem also informed that they had already approached the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Culture to help in allocating funds to the council for the library expansion.
He also informed that they would also try to digitize the library and also try to create an archive to preserve the Acts and regulations which were passed by the council during the past many years.
“At present all the books and content which are there in the library are manual. We have already asked the librarian to get more books,” KHADC CEM said.
Syiem said that the library would be open for the general public besides the scholars for their research work.
