The Library (Ceylon Muslim Cultural Center)

When principal Mr. AMA Azeez assumed duties in 1948, steps have been taken for providing the students of a separate library building. The full cost of the building was met by Mr. AEM Usoof. The building kept provision for a lecture theatre equipped with cinema projector which was promised by Mr. SDM Mansoor. Mrs. Akbar KC donated 342 volumes belonged late Honorable Mr. MT Akbar KC, retired judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and Solicitor General of Ceylon. The foundation stone for the library building was laid on December 15th in 1951 in the presence of AEM Usoof the donor. It is in records that various authors, book publishers who had been kind enough to donate their publications to Zahira College library. With the popularity, library required expansion and in 1954 a class room was assigned to the library by the principal to use as a reading room. The reading room was enriched with magazines. During this period the library possessed following divisions

lending,
general reading room,
reference and
class libraries

The librarian of the school was Late Mr. MLM Farook.

First Librarian for Zahira college library .. Mr. M.L.M.FAROOK

In 1956 Asia foundation donated Rs 75,000 towards the establishment of a library building and it is named as Ceylon Muslim Cultural Center. Pakistan donated Rs.25,000 towards the same purpose. In 1961 December the library has shifted from the previously used classrooms to the Ceylon Muslim Cultural Center building.

Mr. MLM Farook continued to be the librarian and he has retired after more than 30 years of service in 1983. After him, several librarians, Mr. Abbhas, Mrs. Prathabasinghe, Mrs. Kanagarathnam and many others worked at the library. In 1997 Mrs. Rajaratnam joined as librarian. A computer has been donated by the National Development Bank in 1999 by the effort of the principal Mr. Ismail.

The members on roll of the school increased towards 5000 and the cultural center building was not enough to house this large population thus in 2009 a foundation stone was laid for three storey building which comprises of an auditorium, a library, a learning center and class rooms. The funding came from Al Makthoom Foundation.

Source : Zahira College