Howrah District Library at Howrah Maidan. (Gopal Senapati)

The Howrah District Library authorities are looking for a suitable site to temporarily shift the facility from Howrah Maidan, which will soon be taken over for the construction of a station for the East-West Metro.

Calcutta Metro Railway Corporation Ltd., which is setting up the railway link between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake, has written to the director of library services to relocate the district library for three years to facilitate the construction of Howrah Maidan station.

A copy of the letter has also been sent to the district magistrate and the district library officer. The district library functions under the state government’s library services department.

A.K. Thakur, the general manager (administration) of the Metro Railway Corporation, said: “Yes, we have requested the authorities to relocate the library for three years. We will construct a better library at the spot after work on Howrah Maidan station is over.”

District library officer Jayshree Sen said the authorities were finding it difficult to find a spot that could accommodate around 76,000 books and 200 almirahs. “Besides, there must also be a spacious reading room and an office.”

Library regulars, including many researchers, are equally concerned about the relocation.

Barun Majumder, who has been awarded Padmashree for his contribution to literature and is a regular visitor to the district library, said: “I doubt whether the new site will be as spacious as the present one. We can read and write comfortably on the Howrah Maidan premises.”

Hemendra Bandopadhyay, the writer of Salikha-r Eitihas (History of Salkia), said: “I use the library regularly and the present location is convenient for us. It’ll be unfortunate if the library is shifted to a remote location.”

In 1954, the Bidhan Chandra Roy government had sanctioned 18 cottahs at Howrah Maidan for the construction of the library. The facility was inaugurated on October 2, 1956, by then education secretary Dhirendra Mohan Sen.