The Sinha Library in Patna. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, May 12: Once a centre of intellectual discussions and scholarly readings, Sinha Library, today, stands tall minus its glory of yesteryears.

Failure to keep up with the changing times and preferences of residents, the library is a sorry shadow of the past.

Established in 1924, the library was once second home to scholars, teachers and students. But now, there is no hope for avid readers in the state capital who want access to the latest contemporary works.

Celebrated authors — Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Chetan Bhagat and others — have failed to secure a coveted position on the shelves at the library. Look around and you will find books on history, philosophy, sociology, literature, geography, Indian polity and international relations. But can they be of any help if you have to make notes keeping in view contemporary affairs?

The children’s section also portrays a dismal picture in the lack of literary upgrade.

Avinash, a college student, said: “I had recently gone to the library looking for contemporary works of Khaled Hosseini. However, there was no collection of latest and contemporary writers. I only came across some old English classics.”

Sinha Library has a collection of around two lakh books in Hindi, Urdu, English and Bengali, although many of these are outdated publications.

Employees said upgrade is necessary to retain the library’s popularity.

A senior employee of the library said: “Though there is no dearth of timely funds, there is a need to upgrade the library according to the demands of the young generation. Although computer and information technology is the buzzword today, this public library hardly offers latest books to readers. This is a major reason behind drastic decline in membership and daily influx of casual readers over the years.”

The employee, who refused to be named, also attributed online reading to the decreasing popularity of the library. He said: “Today, most students study to just clinch required marks. Gathering knowledge is no more a priority for the youths. Students, who are preparing for government service exams come regularly to the library looking for competitive magazines and newspapers.”

On getting fresh books, the employee said: “Six to seven months back, books on different subjects were donated to the library by Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, Calcutta. But the stock didn’t have much option for young readers, who look for novels. Though a handful of books were purchased from government funds last year, there are limited options for students of vocational courses who need reference material.”

Rakesh Kumar, a resident, said: “I am a network engineer and I wanted to refer to some books on networking. However, I could find no relevant material at the library.”