CHENNAI: Libraries, for ages have been perceived as quiet places. We’ve been shushed, made to believe that we should talk in hushed tones. But can a library actually ever be silent? From encompassing pages reflecting happiness, anger, violence, betrayal and love; narratives on achievements, innovation, different languages, ethnicities, cultures, heritage, the glory of different periods, civilisations and whatnots — the auxiliary institution has been loud with its views, and played a vital role in making an individual think beyond the linear – to love and understand the sublateral voices.
It has opened several doors,” shared Murugan Manthiram of Koogai Library, addressing the audience as part of Chennai Photo Biennale’s virtual panel discussion on National Library Day on August 12. A well-curated panel, which included Ajayan Bala from Balu Mahendra Library; Mini N from Dulkal Library, Sundar Ganesan from Roja Muthiah Research Library, and Thirupurasundari Sevvel of Madras Literary Society (moderator), presented the participants with a series of reflective yet feasible thoughts to understand the roles of libraries in getting to know a city and their everchanging character. “A library is not just a physical space within four walls. There is more to it…it is a space to open our hearts and mind to new information and possibilities. It can also be to create riveting movements , ”shared Thirupurasundari.
Bridging the gap
While the dominant intent of every library might stem from the diverse needs of an individual or a specific community, what ties them all together is the unswerving thought — to make knowledge accessible to all. For instance, the lack of literary material and quality aid during his days as an assistant director was what mooted Ajayan Bala to start Balu Mahendra Library in 2018.
A similar obstacle pushed director Pa Ranjith along with other socially conscious directors to open Koogai Library. “The singular notion was to bridge the gap between literature and cinema. Otherwise, one would only find assistant directors and technicians spending their time discussing movies and technicalities in the tea shops that dot Saligramam. Such a conducive space was important to nurture aspiring talent,” shared Murugan.
On the other hand, Dulkal Library was formed by a group of youngsters to honour late Dr Abdul Kalam’s vision for 2020 by setting up a network of libraries at government schools in remote villages, tribal areas and communities, to engage children in skill-based activities. “The main aim is to set up libraries in places where holistic development is needed. We choose books according to the children’s needs, age groups, language, and areas of interest,” said Mini, the treasurer of Dulkal. The initiative currently runs libraries in rural parts of Villupuram and Kancheepuram.
Role call
From religion, technology, architecture, politics, environment to history — cities and its subsidiaries have different facets. “They have to be discovered and rediscovered through libraries,” opined Sundar, pointing to the different tools that libraries have to offer — official publications, gazettes, folk literature, gujilli paatu, newspapers, neighbourhood tabloids, classic literature, medieval and modern literature. “Everything is valuable in understanding a city.
Several thousand years later, through literary works including Pattinapalai, a Tamil poem from Sangam literature and the ‘Mangala vazhthu’ from Silappathikaram, we can still get an idea of what the ancient cities of Kaveripattinam and Poompuhar once looked like, their harmonious and cosmopolitan nature. They act as pieces of evidence.
This also reiterates why cataloguing, conservation and preservation of such tools are vital,” said the archivist, also emphasising on the importance of the reference and retrieval systems in libraries. Over the decades, these knowledge-offering spaces, which primarily run on contributions and memberships, have become the warp and weft of the city’s cultural fabric and have constantly reinvented themselves, to cater to the changing needs of the population.
From lending books, restoring, digitising and preserving them, curating talks and workshops, conducting film and documentary screenings, organising awareness campaigns on different social issues to making information for individuals accessible from the comfort of their homes, libraries have transcended with time. The city’s 200-odd-year-old Madras Literary Society is perhaps a standing testimony to this.
The 120-odd minute discussion, peppered with insightful references from literature dating back to the Sangam period, ideologies that go beyond what meets the eye, and ideas that aim to create an inclusive society, made the talk bookmarkworthy. As part of the event, a ‘Nam Madras’ map, identifying over 250 libraries in the city was also released. “The map is a work in progress and more libraries will be added to the list,” said Thirupurasundari. For details about CPB’s upcoming events, visit: chennaiphotobiennale.com