THANJAVUR: Readers frequenting the Tiruvaiyaru branch library have urged the shifting of the facility which is currently housed in a dilapidated building of the Rajah’s college of Thanjavur Chatram Administration. The old building predominantly has tiled roofing and only a few concrete roofed-rooms, the plaster of which has fallen off.
“The library has a collection of over 40,000 books. During the rainy season, water seeps in and readers find it very difficult,” says K Ganesan, president of the readers forum of the library. He recounts that a few years ago hundreds of books in the library were damaged due to the seepage of rainwater. “Although over 50 people use the reading room daily, we only have a single reading room with a capacity of 12 seats,” Ganesan added.
He also pointed out around 25 youth, preparing for competitive examinations are also consulting the library daily and a separate room was allotted to them. M Muthiah, a reader from Tiruvaiyaru, said that those who come to the library when the seats are full have to go back without reading due to space crunch.
Readers have also urged for the construction of a permanent building in the site allocated for the Tiruvariyaru library. The branch library was earlier functioning in a rented building and later shifted in 2012 to a building adjacent to Rajah’s college.
“The Government had allotted land at Thirumanjana Veedhi in Tiruvaiyaru for constructing a new building. However, for lack of fund allocation, the new building is yet to come up,” says Ganesan. T Nagarajan, a resident of Tiruvaiyaru, said foundation stone was also laid for the library in March 2023 at Budalur.
Thanjavur District Library Officer S Dhanalakshmi told TNIE that “The Public Works Department has been asked to prepare an estimate for the new building of Tiruvaiyaru Library.” Once received, it will be sent to the Government for further action, she added.