Three of Nepal’s Largest Public Libraries Were Badly Damaged in the 2015 Earthquake. Only One Has Risen From The Debris

From The Kathmandu Post:

The Kaiser Library, one of Kathmandu’s few public libraries, is part of the larger Keshar Mahal palace complex and a work of art. Built in 1907 by Chandra Shumsher for his son, Kaiser (Keshar) Shumsher, the library holds over 50,000 books & 25,000 of them donated to the Nepal government by Kaiser wife after his death in 1965. It is a grand old building, built in the neoclassical style so popular with the Rana prime ministers.

This historical landmark, however, is in a distressing state of disrepair. After the earthquakes of 2015, the building was given by a yellow sticker by the Nepal Engineers Association, meaning that it damaged beyond repair but needs retrofitting if it is to stay in use. The library had to temporarily transfer its collection of 50,000 books from the building first floor to the ground. In the past four years, no retrofitting has been carried out.

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The Kaiser Library is not the only library that suffered in the 2015 earthquakes. Most of Kathmandu’s large public libraries suffered, and little has been done to retrofit or rebuild them.

Read the Complete Article (approx. 1170 words)

Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries