CHENNAI: As part of the efforts to bring books closer to the public, CM M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated a mega book park set up by Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) at a cost of Rs 1.85 crore at the Chennai Central Metro station.
To encourage early footfall and purchases, books other than school textbooks are also being sold at 10% discount at present.
Spread across 5,000 sqft, the book park features stalls by publishers in multiple languages, a cafeteria, a reading area, and a mini hall to host book release events. Designed to accommodate about 10 readers at a time, the park will house 5,000 titles and 15,000 books.
The TNTB&ESC will pay the rent for the space to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited, while the private publishers who have stalls will share their revenue with the corporation, said T Sankara Saravanan, joint director of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
Officials said the Central Metro Station was chosen as it has high footfall, and TNTB&ESC will decide on establishing more such book parks.
This initiative is part of the efforts by the school education department to improve the reading habit among the general public. The book park will offer a wide range of publications, including Tamil, English and other language books from various publishers; almost all the books published by TNTB&ESC.
The CM also launched the corporation’s new website for online book sales and released 84 books published under various government schemes.
The revamped website, www.tntextbooksonline.com, will allow the corporation to sell books not only in Tamil Nadu but also across India and internationally, said officials.
Among the 84 books released were a dialect dictionary of veterinary sciences that compiles subject-specific terminology from across Tamil Nadu, global children’s literature such as What to Do When You Worry Too Much by the American Psychological Association, translations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and King Lear, and selected French soft stories in Tamil, added Sankara Saravanan.
To support Tamil medium students preparing for the Chartered Accountancy exam, the corporation has collaborated with Taxmann Publications to publish four books – Business Economics, Quantitative Aptitude, Business Law, and Accounting, along with Tamil glossary, a release said.
Translations of Tamil literature, including the state’s first novel Prathapa Mudaliar Charithram, nationalised books like Ariyapadatha Tamilagam and Kurinji Malai and didactic Sangam texts like Tirikaṭukam in other languages were also released, he further said.
These books were published under Thisaidhorum Dravidam, Muthamizh Arignar Mozhipeyarpu Thittam and Illanthalir Ilakiya Thittam schemes.
This apart, the release said, the CM also inaugurated 110 newly constructed library buildings, along with facilities such as furniture and books, a full-time library building in Paramakudi and 70 special libraries at a cost of Rs 29.8 crore.
Further, Rs 213.46 crore was sanctioned under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment Scheme for constructing additional buildings and purchasing furniture for 821 public libraries. Of these, Statlin inaugurated 352 newly constructed buildings during the event.
Quick look
Set up at a cost of Rs 1.85 crore, spread across 5,000 sqft
Houses over 15,000 books
Features a cafeteria, reading area and a mini hall for book release events
Launch offer of 10% discount on all books except school textbooks