Kathmandu, April 3 -- Inside the stately Kaiser Library, HS Wagle is sitting on a wooden bench, bent over a newspaper--one of just eight visitors.

Wagle, a 50-year-old sociology lecturer at VS Niketan College, first came to the library as a teenager. More than three decades later, he's still a regular visitor, not just to read the papers but also for research and the library's large collection of interesting books. He also admires the architecture and decor of this 112-year-old former Rana palace, adorned with old photographs and ancient artefacts.

The Kaiser Library, one of Kathmandu's few public libraries, is part of the larger Keshar Mahal palace complex and a work of art. Built in 1907 by Chandra Shumsher for his son, Kaiser (Keshar...