HETAUDA: Rupa Karki, a seventh grader of Pashupatinath Secondary School in Hadikhola, spends her leisure in the library. Ever since the school library was set up, there has been a drastic change in her habit.

Her classmate Rita Karki also rushes to the library as soon as she gets free. Others join them too to read books of their choice. What's more, they can borrow the books, giving their family members also a chance to read them.

Much to the relief of their parents, who cannot afford to by all the books for the kids, the library has given them a good number of books to choose from. Teacher Sushil Gautam said the library was useful for the students since it gave them resources on extra-curricular content. Fifth grader Rajan, Rita's younger brother, said the library had helped him a lot in his study. Nepal Educational Assistance Trust had established the library in the school three years ago. According to Gautam, the library has a collection of 8,000 books. Assistant headmaster Kabiraj Tiwari said the Trust had helped improve the study of students by establishing a library.

The Trust has set up libraries in 141 government schools in the district. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, coordinator of the Trust, said they established 30 libraries in 2006, 51 in 2007 and 40 in 2008. He informed that the libraries were being frequently monitored.

The Trust has provided 26 and 16 computers to Mahendra Higher Secondary School in Padampokhari and Nawajyoti Secondary School Hetauda, respectively.