Why Public Libraries in Iran Are Lacking Activity

This week is Public Libraries Week in Britain, with special ceremonies to honor books, reading, and libraries. Major publications and websites in Britain have released special editions on this topic. This has prompted a look at what is happening in libraries in Iran compared to those in developed countries. The first public library in Iran, in its modern form, was established in 1926 in the Tehran municipality building, and later, on October 8, 1961, the Park Shahr Public Library, with a capacity of 250,000 books, began operations as the first library in Tehran. However, for the past 36 years, public libraries in Tehran and other cities have, with a few exceptions, been caught in a cycle of inactivity, silence, lethargy, and lack of planning. More than two thousand libraries lack appeal and offer nothing substantial, in stark contrast to their counterparts in developed countries, which are among the most attractive and active public spaces for people. But where does the problem with libraries in Iran lie? Is it due to a lack of facilities, modern technology, and suitable architecture, or weak services, untrained librarians, and a failure to provide new services and mediums, or in the books they offer? Ali-Asghar Ramazani Pour, former cultural deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and a policy analyst in this ministry's book sector, residing in London, states: "If we consider the division between services or software and the hardware and technology and facilities, we must say that our public libraries are struggling in both areas. However, our main problem lies in the software or services provided in libraries. This issue stems from three main areas. First, at the management and macro-policy level, our public libraries are facing problems. Second, regarding the type of books selected for readers and the provision of books for reading. And third, the management of libraries and the problems librarians face. The way patrons are controlled is bothersome. In most of our libraries, the method of hiding books from patrons still exists. Unfortunately, many of our librarians have not been trained due to financial issues. The new library methods that we see worldwide have not been used in Iran in recent years, and the issue of communication between libraries has not been implemented due to problems stemming from the lack of computer equipment. As a result, there is no library network." But how are public libraries in other countries? Fereshteh Mowlavi, a writer and translator who has worked for years at the National Library of Iran and then at Yale University Library as a book expert and librarian, and now resides in Canada, says: "The most important issue for me is that here, libraries, specifically public libraries, are recognized as a necessary service for citizens. When you establish the foundation on the understanding that public libraries are a need that must be addressed, then the whole situation changes. For example, I believe Canada's population is about 35 million. Of this population, the number I have obtained from documents is that 21 million people have public library cards. This itself shows how common the use of public libraries is. Having a public library membership card is a kind of identity marker." According to Ali-Asghar Ramazani Pour, the macro and micro management policies of libraries in Iran are one of the main obstacles to their inactivity: "At the macro management level, there is currently a kind of indecision regarding public libraries. We know that there are about two thousand public libraries in the country. Legally, since 2003, they should have become an independent entity, with their budget funded by half a percent of municipal revenues. However, due to the non-payment of this money, public libraries continue to face problems. According to the latest statistics, there is more than 600 billion tomans in debt owed by municipalities to the public library institution. Regarding the level of policy-making by managers, unfortunately, a large part of the budget has been spent on activities that are more promotional rather than on developing libraries and providing assistance to librarians. In other words, public libraries are seen more as places for government and official advertising than as places for providing services to the public. The system of managing libraries has not changed from the traditional system, where books were in the librarian's control, and others had to approach the librarian, to a system where books are directly available to patrons, and the way of introducing books has not been updated. Naturally, computer systems have not been implemented due to budget constraints. Therefore, I can say that we are witnessing a significant regression in public libraries since the early 2000s, particularly after 2003 and 2004." Meanwhile, library management in a country like Canada has turned it into a place for offering the most diverse services. Fereshteh Mowlavi says: "The services they provide cover everything; not just books. Books are part of it. All computer-related issues. The use of computers for free has become very important in libraries in recent years. Information dissemination in every aspect of life is important. Whenever you enter a public library, say in Toronto, it is full of people. These people are school children studying. They come from all ages, and reading books is just part of what is done in a public library. The library is free, and not only is it free, but people are encouraged in various ways to spend their time in the library." Many believe that in Iran, since the years following the revolution, any institution related to books has been viewed as a political and security matter. Ali-Asghar Ramazani Pour states: "The fact that libraries are seen as political institutions and places for ideological and political propaganda means that, unfortunately, books, apart from the censorship we have in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, face even more censorship when they go to public libraries. This means that necessary books do not arrive. Attractive books do not arrive. I can say that most of the low-quality books, those published by propaganda agencies in large print runs, are what is purchased with public funds and occupy space on the shelves. They take up space and prevent other books from being placed there, and they also censor other books. Therefore, I can say that we are managing libraries in an increasingly political manner while simultaneously emptying them of patrons." But who manages libraries, for example, in Canada? Fereshteh Mowlavi, a writer and book expert in Toronto, states: "The foundation in Canada, which is a democratic system, revolves around citizenship, and therefore, as much as possible, citizens and ordinary people play a role in managing their own issues. Especially urban issues, which are completely separate from politics and government, are managed by the people. This is a very important point regarding public libraries: whether the management of public libraries is in the hands of the government or the people. Here, a board manages the libraries. For example, public libraries have a board that is elected and consists of people from various social classes. The municipality is also involved. The composition of the board that determines and manages policy is a mix of professionals in the field; that is, librarians and those connected to the municipality, such as city councils and users. Therefore, this gives it a popular shape. The role of the government is to assist. The role of the government is not to dictate. Therefore, this is why we see such differences between a public library here and a public library in Iran. If we can even call what we have in Iran a public library.