Jaffna Library Steps Into the Digital Age

The Jaffna Public Library, once reduced to ashes in one of the darkest moments of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, opened a new chapter this morning (01 Sept) as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake inaugurated its transformation into an e-library.

With the launch of the dedicated portal jaffna.dlp.gov.lk, readers will now be able to access the library’s holdings online. Alongside the website, an integrated library management system, smart card access for members, and a dedicated assistive technology unit for persons with special needs were also unveiled. A sum of Rs. 100 million from the 2025 budget has been earmarked for the initiative.

The Jaffna Public Library is more than just a building. First established in 1959, it grew into one of the largest libraries in Asia, serving generations of schoolchildren, university students, and researchers. For the Tamil community, it became a proud symbol of learning and cultural identity. That identity came under brutal attack on the night of 31 May 1981, when a mob that included uniformed police officers set fire to the institution. Over two nights of violence, nearly 97,000 books and irreplaceable manuscripts—including palm-leaf texts and centuries-old chronicles such as the Yalpana Vaipava Malai—were destroyed. No investigation was ever carried out, and no one was held accountable.

Lsting Scar 

That loss left a lasting scar, remembered as an act of cultural erasure and a precursor to the country’s civil war. Though rebuilt in 2001, the Jaffna Library has since stood as both a reminder of trauma and a beacon of resilience.

Today’s inauguration of the e-library project marks a significant step in re-imagining its role. By digitising collections and expanding access beyond its physical walls, the library aims to serve not only the people of Jaffna but also readers across the island and the diaspora.

After the official launch, President Dissanayake toured the reading hall and lending section, engaging with staff and emphasising the library’s continuing importance to national education and reconciliation.

For a city and community that once watched their cultural treasures burn, the new digital initiative is more than a technical upgrade. It is an attempt to safeguard knowledge, preserve heritage, and ensure that the legacy of the Jaffna Library endures in the digital age.