Ebtasham Rahman Sainav, Campus Correspondent || From stories of history and complex ideas of philosophy to the emotions of poetry, ‘Pathito’, an initiative run by students of Begum Rokeya University, is introducing students to different kinds of books beyond mobile screens. Students can borrow books from ‘Pathito’ for just Tk 10.‘Pathito’ started its journey in Haragach, Rangpur, in 2020. Later, in 2024, the initiative resumed its activities with new enthusiasm on the Begum Rokeya University campus. Since the beginning, its main goal has been to develop students' interest in reading books beyond their academic studies and make books more accessible to them.Currently, eight students from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism are actively involved in the initiative. They are Abdullah Al Hasan Dipto, Monirul Islam, Ebtasham Rahman Sainav, Kamrul Islam Shanto, Parvez Hasan, Subarna Shikder, Sadia Akter Suchi and Sania Khandaker. They are responsible for collecting books, communicating with readers and managing different activities.Abdullah Al Hasan Dipto, chief coordinator of ‘Pathito’, said, "After the COVID-19 pandemic, I noticed that students were moving away from reading books and becoming increasingly attached to mobile screens. With the aim of addressing this situation, I started ‘Pathito’ on a small scale using books from my personal collection. Later, after coming to the university, I shared the idea with my friends, and they also showed interest. With their support, we are now running the initiative on the university campus."Currently, ‘Pathito’ has a collection of around 250 books. The collection includes philosophy, poetry, history, self-development and various literary books. Among these, students show greater interest in philosophy, novels and poetry. The borrowing period depends on the type of book. Students can borrow their preferred books for a fixed period by paying only Tk 10.In response to a question from this correspondent, Niladro, a student of the Department of Disaster Management, said, "Through Pathito, I get the opportunity to read my favourite books at a low cost. It is not always possible to buy every book I need. This initiative allows me to read books of different kinds. It has also encouraged me to read books instead of using my mobile phone during leisure time."Another coordinator, Kamrul Islam Shanto, said, "Our goal is not just to lend books. We want to make reading a natural part of young people's daily lives. Although the initiative started on a small scale, we hope to reach many more young people."He also said that the small service charge is mainly used to cover the costs of repairing damaged pages and book covers, as well as other maintenance expenses. According to the students involved in the initiative, an average of 20 to 25 students borrow books from ‘Pathito’ every week. They are also working to expand their collection based on students' interests and demands.