Neighbourhood libraries revive reading habit in TN

A local Panchayat union education officer has setup up 80 libraries across 80 hamlets, with 4,000 books rotated among them. This has led to a revival in reading among children.

Trichy (Tamil Nadu): A local Panchayat union education officer has setup up 80 libraries across 80 hamlets, with 4,000 books rotated among them, a massive reading initiative was undertaken by this individual during the time of pandemic has revived the interest among the children.

The revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was reading book ‘Reminiscences of Lenin’shortly before he was hanged on March 23, 1931 for killing a British police officer. The book is a memoir of Clara Zetkin, a German political activist and narrates her interactions with Lenin, a stalwart of the communist movement, in the book. Babasaheb Ambedkar used to be the first one to visit the library and last to return from it.

When the reading habit has been on the steady decline for the past few decades Maruthanayagam, Education Officer, Manikandam Panchayat Union, Tirchy has been engaged in reviving up the habit. During the pandemic lockdown, he has set up libraries in 80 hamlets and encourages the children, students and youth to the visit library regularly. The library has a wide range of books including textbooks.

The pandemic has affected the usual avenues of reading and studying. The reading activities among school and college students came to a standstill during a 10-month long lockdown. They were not even able to get textbooks. Learning about this Maruthanayagam has decided to help the school and college students by starting a neighbourhood library.

Maruthanayagam, Education Officer, Manikandam Panchayat Union, Tirchy has been engaged in reviving up the habit. He has set up street librararies in 80 villages and he invites the children, students and youth to the visit library regularly.

Maruthanayagam has been collecting books from people. He places 50 books for each street library for a few days. He rotates about 4000 books among the 80 villages. The neighbourhood library helps the college and school students to increase their reading habit and concentrate on their studies. They visit the library regularly.

Talking about the initiative Headmistress of Iniyanur Elementary School, Merymadhu Rani said “during first few months of the lockdown students were spending time watching TVs and browsing cellphones. The street library has a wide range of books from short stories to the history of leaders, visionaries and freedom fighters.

Students laud the role of the Maruthnayagam for starting the libraries. A school student said, he visits the library often since it is located close to his house. Maruthnayagam appeals the people not to keep the books in locked cupboards. They are not showpieces. The books must be kept at the place to enable the students to reach them easily and read them. He requested the government to start street library across the State.

Read: Kolkata's first boat library to hit Hooghly river