At a time when the elders seem to be fretting anxiously about the death of reading habits among the youth, it is heartening to see a library celebrating its diamond jubilee of active readership, cultural revivals and social presence. The Youngmen’s Library and Reading Room, at Nalloor near Feroke, is not merely a literacy centre, but also a platform to promote art, culture and social activities in the neighbourhood.
Established on April 29, 1952 by a group of young men, the library started with a wooden desk, two benches and a handful of books in a two-storeyed building. Now, it has two buildings of its own – one which functions as a library and the other as a nursery-cum-cultural centre. What’s more, it has emerged as the first Rural Information Centre in the district and was declared as the first Model Village Library in 2001.
Including the lifelong, yearly and mobile library members, the library has a total membership of 1,073 members. A bouquet of cultural programmes coupled with innovative learning programmes bind students and kids to this library. “We conduct regular programmes for members, particularly children to promote reading habits. Vayanamalsaram is conducted on school-basis by selecting three schools in the panchayat. The students are given books by the library and at the end of a given time period, they are quizzed about the books they have read. We also provide reference books for higher classes,” said librarian Bindhu.
The mobile library is a provision for the women in the neighbourhood who do not have the time to come to the library and borrow books. “For them a female mobile librarian takes books to their doorsteps. This initiative has about 197 active members,” she said.
Besides, the Youngmen’s library has also played a huge role in the cultural and educational development of the Nalloor locality and the people here. Says M Rajagopalan, vice-president of the library’s working committee, “When a library is merely confined to books and newspapers, it doesn’t make much of a difference in the community it aims to serve. We need to awaken the young minds through ways that appeal to them. That too is an important part of education.”
“I come here almost every weekend to borrow books. They have most of the latest books and also reference books for academic purposes. I also take part in the dramas and cultural programmes. It’s a great experience,” says Sona, who’s a graduate student and has a lifelong membership at the library.
The Balakairali nursery school for kids, which started under the library in 1990, has more than 80 students enrolled in LKG and UKG now.
The Kalasamithi wing hosts dance, drawing and music classes for young aspirants. There is also a stitching class for the women, in addition to the occasional career guidance and personality development workshops. The library also conducts dramas, women empowerment seminars, film festivals and health awareness classes on a regular basis.
“While there is a widespread notion that selfless service is fading away in our societies, it is heartening to see a library that is engaged in diverse cultural and educational programmes for its neighbourhood. If this is not selfless service, then what is?”, words by V V Dakshinamoorthy, ex-editor of Deshabhimani, autographed in a small notebook kept for visitors.