Seylan Bank – the bank with a heart - celebrated the opening of their milestone 200^th library, at Vijayaba Maha Vidyalaya, Grandpass on the 27^th of November 2019 as part of ‘Seylan Pahasara’- a CSR initiative launched in 2013, to mark the 25^th anniversary of the bank. Understanding the importance school libraries play on increasing student literacy and learning outcomes in Sri Lanka, Seylan Bank has now built a total of 200 libraries across 19 districts in Sri Lanka, donating a total of 40,000 books, and providing equitable access to reading materials to over 10,000 students.

With the opening of their 200^th library, ‘Seylan Pahasara’ has continued to provide a pathway for students to enhance their knowledge on various fields which contribute to the improvement of their academic performance. All 200 libraries act as centers of learning and knowledge development, playing an essential role in providing students with safe and accessible educational resources.

Commenting on this initiative Kapila Ariyaratne, Director/ Chief Executive Officer- Seylan Bank PLC said, “We are very happy and proud to mark the opening of the 200^th library as part of ‘Seylan Pahasara’. As the bank with a heart, we have continued to place utmost importance on contributing towards creating and sustaining a knowledge-based society for both current and future generations. By building 200 libraries at selected schools across the island and providing digital infrastructure, we aim to enhance the learning experience of students by widening their access to academic content through e-learning platforms, thus obtaining global content exposure. This will positively impact the academic advancements of students, whilst developing and sustaining a habit of reading, in them”.

Seylan Bank has upgraded the infrastructure of all 200 libraries catering to a wide range of curriculum resources such as sports, leadership, and balance of life among other, ensuring a steady supply of reading materials, covering total quality education. Students have the independence to access material and find resources that help them develop their interests and strengths at their own pace.

Considering the continuous technological advancements in modern times, Seylan Bank has also provided over 200 computers across selected libraries, to support and develop the digital literacy of students. This also gives students access to e-books that can be download via the internet, thereby widening their access to reading material.

With a definite objective to maintain the standards and quality of each library, Seylan Bank is also committed to re-visit the completed libraries on a rotational basis, to replenish the reading material required and to carry out any minor infrastructure development as needed.