COIMBATORE: In a move that is sure to earn the ire of scores of news junkies and competitive exam aspirants from poorer families across Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Libraries has decided to drastically reduce the number of newspapers, magazines and other periodicals subscribed to by libraries in the State.
From April 1, libraries will buy only one daily each in English and Tamil, two Tamil weeklies and one English weekly, and one English and Tamil monthly each. This used to be five dailies each in English and Tamil, 23 weeklies and five magazines.
According to the recent circular issued by district library officers concerned, those in charge of each library should buy only one of the three listed Tamil newspapers and one of the two listed English dailies. They can also buy two Tamil weeklies, one English weekly, one monthly magazine each in English and Tamil, the order added.
“Till now, apart from the periodicals, libraries were permitted to buy from local newspaper agents; funds were also allotted to buy them through postal orders,” a library staff in Coimbatore said on condition of anonymity. “We were told that the decision was taken to minimise expenditure, but this will create anger among the readers,” the staff added.
Libraries, especially in the towns and villages of Tamil Nadu, are frequented by scores of competitive exam aspirants for whom it is not possible to subscribe to all these periodicals.
“The order was issued as a temporary measure for administrative reasons. But we have decided to revise it. We assure that the number of periodicals will not be reduced,” Coimbatore District Library Officer J Karthikeyan told Express.