Bhubaneswar/Kalinga Voice : In a step to reinvent Parija Library, Utkal University has inagurated a newly renovated reading hall in the library on Tuesday. The PhD scholar hall in the library has also been renovated. Approximately 56 lakhs were spent in the project. Anweshan hall houses 16 rooms for the PhD scholars on the second floor and a reading room for students in the name of Manoj Das has been created on the fifth floor of the library. It is set up to inform students about the life and philosophy of Manoj Das. Books on his life and work will be available in the room.
In today’s digital times libraries have become less travelled and less popular among the students. They have access to all sorts of information through their phones. In a bid to attract more students to the library, the university administration has taken a few steps to also make the peripheral area more inviting. The road opposite to the library has been declared “No vehicular zone” in order to avoid distraction and noise pollution. A visit to the adjacent Gandhi Memorial Park will make the experience even more serene and enjoyable.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Soumendra Mohan Patnaik said, ” All departments of the university have their own libraries. However they work in silos and the number of books available there are also limited. That’s why we have tried to reinvent Parija library with a vision to transform it into a ground for intellectual growth. The library will no longer be a silent zone but a buzzing space for intellectual interaction.”
The two projects are housed on second and fifth floor of the library. Students can read and engage in intellectual discussions in these rooms. Parija library also has been adding e-resources in the e-library. Vice-chancellor, Prof. Soumendra Mohan Patnaik; Registrar, Dr. Avaya Kumar Nayak; PG Council Chairperson Dr. Basant Malik, Director CDC, Prof. Nigamananda Das, RUSA Coordinator Prof. P. K. Hota, New Campus OSD J. Dandpat, Library In-charge Prof. BhaswatiPatnaik and Chief librarian Dr. RavindraGarada were present in the inauguralprogramme.
