Sharing GLAM Experience: Annoda Gobinda Public Library, Pabna, Bangladesh

Wikimedia Bangladesh is starting a new GLAM initiative at Annoda Gobinda Public Library in Pabna. The project is being led by MS Sakib.

I have been working with GLAM projects in Rajshahi for a long time. So, on 10 and 11 August 2026, I travelled more than 100 kilometres from Rajshahi to Pabna. The main purpose of the visit was to exchange my GLAM experiences with Sakib. Sheikh Mehedi Hassan also joined us during the visit. It was a great opportunity to learn from each other and discuss the practical challenges of GLAM work.

I brought a CZUR ET25 Pro scanner from Rajshahi. I had used this scanner in my own GLAM work before. From now on, Sakib and Mehedi will use it for book digitization at the library. I showed them the complete scanning process through a hands-on session. I also shared some practical techniques that I learned from my own experience. Both of them are talented Wikimedians. They learned the workflow very quickly.

During these two days, we discussed many aspects of GLAM work. One of our main topics was copyright verification. This is one of the most challenging parts of digitization work in Bangladesh. Earlier, we had checked the copyright status of books from three libraries in Rajshahi. However, we did not create a well-organized database of those records. As a result, Sakib now has to verify many of the same books again for the Pabna project. This repeated work takes extra time and effort. We discussed how a shared copyright database could help avoid this problem in future GLAM projects.We also talked about another common challenge. Many books in the library are tightly bound. In some cases, the text near the spine cannot be read clearly because of the binding. Scanning these books without damaging them is not easy. We exchanged ideas on different techniques that could help preserve the books while still producing good-quality scans.

Our discussions also improved my understanding of several provisions of Bangladesh’s copyright law. Sakib and Mehedi have a strong understanding of the law and its practical application. I learned many useful things from them. I hope this exchange of knowledge will help all of us work more effectively and strengthen future GLAM activities in Bangladesh.

Annoda Gobinda Public Library is located on Abdul Hamid Road in the heart of Pabna town. It is one of the oldest public libraries in Bangladesh. The library was established in 1890. Today, it preserves more than 38,000 books. As one of the oldest libraries in northern Bangladesh, it holds an important collection of books and historical materials. This makes it a valuable partner for Wikimedia Bangladesh’s GLAM initiative.