6 min readNew DelhiJul 22, 2026 11:18 AM IST Observing that libraries remain one of the strongest bridges between society and knowledge even in the AI era, the Bombay High Court has taken cognisance of the poor condition of the Bhaskarrao Jadhav Library in Kolhapur and registered a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL). The court said that libraries continue to bridge the digital divide and provide access to knowledge for all sections of society and cannot be treated as an “attic where old books go to die.” Justices Milind N Jadhav and Nandesh S Deshpande were on July 21 hearing the PIL after the court took note of a Marathi newspaper report published on July 14, highlighting the condition of the library in Ruikar Colony, Kolhapur. The bench appointed advocates Ritesh Thobade and Bhargavi Patil as amici curiae through the Legal Aid Committee to assist the court in the proceedings. The court underlined that a library is “the only civic space remaining where an individual can spend time without being required to make a …