Two years ago, a group of positive-minded Nepali luminaries including banker Himalaya Rana, former TU vice-chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema, ex-ambassador Durgesh Man Singh, geographer Harka Gurung and NC politician Narayan Khadka among others got together to lament the fact that Kathmandu didn't have a public library.

Suddenly it dawned on them that they were indulging in the favourite Nepali past-time of complaining and complaining, but not doing anything. "So we decided then and there that we'd set up a world class library," Narayan Khadka recalls. It took time for things to get underway, but the library took off. The Society for the Kathmandu Valley Public Library got a Rs 1 million budget allocation last year under Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari and used it to renovate and rent premises at Bhrikuti Mandap.

Already it is hard to keep up with the response from the public. Just a month after it opened the library has already seen 4,000 visitors. Children have to be literally dragged out by parents when the library closes at five, and there has been an over-whelming response from Nepalis and expats alike with book donations.

"I just can't believe it-we have got 10,000 books in one month," says Khadka, who was busy showing around Bernadete Vasseux from the French Embassy when we were there (above). The response from other Kathmandu-based embassies have been great, with the Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, Australian and American missions contributing books, as well as the British School and Lincoln School.

Ultimately the library will be an archive for rare and valuable books from Nepal that are now in libraries in London and elsewhere, as well as for books in other languages about Nepal. But more than anything else, Kathmandu needs a world-class public place for reading.

Khadka's committee has written to King Gyanendra asking for a piece of land near the Health Ministry to build a permanent library and a response is awaited.