Academic Excursion Visit to Pune Book Festival 2025

The Department of Library, Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, organized an Academic Excursion Visit to the Pune Book Festival 2025 on Saturday, 20th December 2025. The Pune Book Festival, held at Fergusson College, Pune, from 13th to 21st December 2025, was a grand literary and cultural event jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, National Book Trust (NBT), and the Government of Maharashtra. It served as a platform to bring together authors, publishers, academicians, students, and book lovers under one roof, celebrating the joy of reading and learning.

The visit aimed to promote reading habits, foster academic curiosity, and enhance faculty awareness of newly published materials relevant to their disciplines. The festival featured over 900 book stalls, more than 100 book releases, and a wide variety of literary and interactive sessions, including author meet-ups, panel discussions, poetry readings, and workshops. The diverse range of books exhibited covered subjects such as science, arts, commerce, literature, education, social sciences, competitive examinations, and research publications.

A total of 234 students and over 100 teaching staff members from various departments enthusiastically participated in the excursion. The event provided an invaluable opportunity for students to explore current publications, interact with publishers, and cultivate an appreciation for contemporary print and digital media. Faculty members actively engaged in identifying and purchasing relevant academic and reference books for their respective departments. These included textbooks, research guides, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference materials aligned with the new curriculum and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework.

To facilitate organization and accountability, attendance was strictly monitored. Library staff were stationed near the exhibition entrance to maintain attendance records through arrival and departure. Staff attendance was deemed mandatory and was viewed as part of professional engagement. Heads of Departments were instructed to accompany their faculty members and ensure student participation. The college had suspended all regular lectures exclusively for the academic excursion, allowing complete institutional participation.

Throughout the visit, staff and students displayed enthusiasm and discipline. Faculty members guided their students, discussed subject-related publications, and shared insights about effective resource utilization. Students gained exposure to publishing trends, multilingual literature, and emerging fields of study. Many participants expressed appreciation for the event’s academic value and its contribution to their personal and professional growth.

The Academic Excursion Visit to the Pune Book Festival 2025 fulfilled its objectives of encouraging reading, bridging the gap between classroom learning and literary knowledge, and enhancing the overall academic environment of the college. It also strengthened the college’s collaboration with national educational initiatives and reaffirmed the importance of libraries in lifelong learning.

Outcomes and Impact

• Strengthened the reading culture among students and faculty.
• Expanded the departmental and central library collections through faculty-selected titles.
• Improved academic awareness of contemporary publications and author networks.
• Fostered interdisciplinary learning through exposure to diverse subjects and perspectives.
• Provided practical insight into the publishing and knowledge dissemination process.

The Head, Department of Library, Dr. Muhammad Zuber Shaikh, expressed his gratitude to the Principal, Heads of Departments, and all participants for their active cooperation in making this academic visit a grand success.

Programme Coordinator:
Dr. Muhammad Zuber Shaikh
Librarian & Programme Coordinator
Department of Library and Information Science