KMRDL
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Kanchan Memorial Rural Development Library (KMRDL) — a community library initiative in Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality, Sindhupalchok, centered on access to knowledge, reading, education and local development.
KMRDL serves Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality and the wider Sindhupalchok district, giving the community free access to books, reading spaces and learning programs. It currently has 600+ registered members and sees 20–30 visitors a day (roughly 500 a month), with around 300 books borrowed monthly. Its users include school, college and university students, teachers, Loksewa exam candidates, government employees, jobseekers, foreign-employment applicants, senior citizens and the general public, drawing from a service area of roughly 50 schools and 3 colleges.
History
The original library, Gram Bikas Pustakalaya, was established in 2012 B.S. (1955 A.D.) at the Shree Krishna Temple in Chautara — the first community library in Sindhupalchok District. The 2015 Gorkha earthquake (2072 B.S.) severely damaged the temple, and the library's collection could not be protected in the aftermath, resulting in an irreplaceable loss.
दुःखी प्रकाशन सामाजिक उन्नयन, the organization that established KMRDL under its constitution, began reviving the library in Falgun 2079 B.S. At the time of revival the collection stood at roughly 3,500 books; it has since grown to approximately 5,000–6,000 books, mostly Nepali-language with a smaller English collection, largely purchased after the revival with a smaller share of donations. Cataloguing is currently done manually, with catalog cards.
Purpose
KMRDL's day-to-day purpose is to give the community of Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality, and the wider Sindhupalchok district, free access to books, reading spaces and learning programs — serving students, teachers, jobseekers and the general public alike.
Long-term vision (2035)
This is a stated long-term direction, not a finalized institutional vision statement.
The long-term aim is a permanent, purpose-built library building with 20,000+ books and 2,000+ active members, alongside planned facilities such as a digital library, computer/AI/robotics/coding labs, a children's library, a research center, a makerspace and a community hall.
Current: reading programs, book discussions, educational training, and computer classes.
Planned (not yet running): AI workshops, robotics, coding, English language classes, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, STEM, media literacy, career counseling, teacher training, and community workshops.
Digital initiative: KMRDLMS
KMRDLMS (Kanchan Memorial Rural Development Library Management System) is a library management system being developed specifically for KMRDL, intended to replace the current manual, catalog-card-based system for tracking books, members and circulation. It is a digital tool in support of the library's work, not a separate organization. Status: in development — not yet in use.
My involvement with KMRDL
I coordinate KMRDL's day-to-day operations as Library Coordinator, a role I've held since October 2025. My full professional background is on the Experience page.
Membership & resources
- Membership
- Free — no membership fee, no late fine
- Loan period
- 7 days, one renewal (reference books cannot be borrowed)
- Opening hours
- Sunday–Friday, 1:00 PM–6:00 PM
- Location
- Community Police and Development Service Center Building, Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality-5, Sindhupalchok, Bagmati Province, Nepal
A relocation to the Chautara Mini Stadium (Sports Development Committee, Sindhupalchok) is planned to provide additional space — not yet completed.
Visiting KMRDL
