Awantipora, April 26: To commemorate the World Book and Copyright Day and rekindle the culture of book reading among students, Central Library Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) on Thursday organized a special day-long event which was attended by participants from various universities and colleges.
On this occasion, Vice Chancellor IUST Prof Mushtaq A. Siddiqi who was the Chief Guest while sharing his experiences with the participants threw light on importance of quality reading and establishing standards in the field of original writing. He said, “The books that you read today will benefit you in the long run so set your standards high from the beginning and nurture a sense of righteousness and creativity in you as writers of tomorrow.” He also warned of the repercussions of plagiarism especially in the field of research and academia.
Justice (Retd) Bashir Ahmad Kirmani, who was the Guest of Honour discussed the importance of Copyright Law in today’s world where there are many apprehensions about the intellectual property theft. “The law protects the original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and these laws have been promulgated to safeguard your interests as they provide a sense of security to those who want to write or aspire to become a writer,” he said.
Leading columnist of Kashmir valley Z.G Mohammad who was also present on this occasion reiterated the importance of reading books as they have ‘made intellectuals’ out of those people who ‘had the desire to gain knowledge from them’. “If u want to become a writer start reading and writing at the early age and we are surrounded by oceans of rich content and impressive writers,” he added.
Earlier, the Chief Librarian IUST Syed Reyaz Rufai formally welcomed the dignitaries and guests and highlighted the relevance of World Book and Copyright Day and how libraries especially the IUST Central Library is adapting to the changing academic and research landscape. He called on students to find ‘companions’ in books and a ‘source of wisdom’.
The event also included sessions on ‘Universities and book reading’ by Dean Academic Affairs and School of Business Studies IUST Prof. A. M Shah, ‘Digital advancement and impact on Books’ by Controller Examinations and Dean School of Humanities and Social Sciences IUST Prof. A. S Bhat, “predatory journal and academic writing’ by Senior Assistant Professor Library Sciences KU, Dr, Sumeer Gul.
The event also included a unique quiz session which was coordinated by Senior Assistant Professor Journalism and Mass Communication IUST, Monisa Qadiri during which prizes were distributed amongst the winners. A book written by an IUST student Hanna Mushtaq (B.Voc) was also released during the event.
Also present on this occasion were various deans, HoDs, faculty members, Central Library IUST staff, and participants from IUST, University of Kashmir, Central University of Kashmir and various colleges.
