Library

There are huge differences in the library system in my native country and Canada. I am going to talk about some important differences. There is one public library and one private library in the centre of Kabul, Afghanistan. The public library contains nearly seventy thousand volumes of different books in Dari, Persian, Pashto, English, Arabic, German, Russian and French well as new and used books. The library can be used by the elderly and young people. Men visit more than women. There is a special room for children. The Afghan public library is considered one of the most important libraries in Afghanistan. A number of unique books are kept in this library, which are in bad condition due to the lack of attention. There is not enough space to store many books and documents in this library. Due to a malfunction of electric wires, there was a fire last year, and almost all the books were destroyed. There are few computers and printers, but there is Internet connection. Nowadays, under the Taleban rule, the situation has become worse. For example, no women are allowed in the library.

The Toronto Public Library is the largest public library in Canada or even maybe the largest in the world. This library has the highest circulation of books and references compared to other large urban systems. The Toronto Public Library was established in 1830 as the Mechanics' Institute Library. This library now includes about 100 library branches and more than 12 million items. It is interesting to know that membership in the Toronto Public Library has many benefits such as online courses, access to book archives, suitable space for reading, free Internet access, and printers.