Institutional Growth and Structural Development of Chughtai Public Library: A Case Study of Sustainable Public Library Expansion

Abstract

The paper is an analysis of the institutionalization and structural development of Chughtai public library in the wider framework of transformation in the public library in Pakistan. The main aim of the research is to examine the role of structural growth, digitalization, diversification of the services, and involvement of the community in developing the library in a sustainable manner. The research background is established on the changing role of the public libraries that have to deal with the changes in technology and growing demands of the users even when they are faced with resource limitations. The research is informed by a compound theoretical framework based on Organizational Development Theory, Social Capital Theory, Information Access Theory, and Resource Dependence Theory. The qualitative case study design was chosen, and data were gathered with the assistance of structured observation, analysis of documents, and descriptive user feedback. It employed purposive sampling in which about 60 respondents who included the library management, staff, and active users were involved. The thematic analysis was used as the main data analysis tool to determine the patterns in reference to growth and service delivery. The results demonstrate that Chughtai Public Library has realized a considerable growth and development of services; nevertheless, there are differences in the infrastructure and the digital facilities within the branches. The research concludes that although the library has been shown to have a good growth model, digital integration and equal distribution of resources is necessary. Some of the recommendations include infrastructure equity, digital improvement and enhanced community engagement towards sustainable development.