Access Renewed: Delhi's Community Library Project reopens
After their libraries had to shut down in the lockdown, The Community Library Project (TCLP) — started in 2010 by writer Mridula Koshy to provide everyone with free access to books — has started reopening them in a phased manner. In June, the Khirki and South Extension (it’s their newest library launched in February) libraries were reopened, followed by Sikanderpur library. The fourth one in Sector 43, Gurugram, will restart in September.
Prachi Grover, Co-Director and Curriculum Coordinator, TCLP, says, “Intially, we were scared about reopening, the spaces and launching public programmes again. The pickup in numbers was a little slow, so we started reaching out by making calls, inviting them to the library.”
The above exercise was attempted for the Sikanderpur library, a week before it reopened, which saw 100 members walking on Day 1. “Many of them were new, brought in by the old members. Given the safety restrictions, we had a detailed plan for reopening. We even researched on how libraries across the world are getting back to operations with safety protocols in place,” she adds.
In the first three weeks, books were issued for home, and thereafter members were allowed to sit for 20-25 minutes in the reading space. Now the plan is to increase the duration. “We have got a lot of requests from members to open the reading rooms. In the coming days, they will be able to use laptops, and participate in art and craft programmes as well,” adds Grover. Throughout the pandemic, the librarians were at work preparing content for TCLP’s online library Duniya Sabki, and preparing physical libraries to welcome members back.
Grover says, “We worked on cataloguing books — the ones purchased in this period, newly donated and donated prior to the physical closure of libraries — under the categories of education books, art, and reading for justice.”
About the footfall, she says, “Essentially, there are two branches where we can compare pre and post pandemic stats. When we reopened the Khirki branch in January, we saw a great response. Over 250 members used the library to issue more than 950 books in the same month. When we reopened it in June again, the footfall had definitely dropped in the initial few weeks. At Sikanderpur, over 300 books were issued in the first week. We will have more comparable figures in a few weeks after we resume more programmes.”
The registration programme Nayi Pehel under which members can seek help to register for government schemes or for vaccination are on at all libraries that are open for people from 11am-6pm. “Our read aloud programmes, reading fluency programmes in Hindi and English are also operational. We also started a Remote Reading Fluency programme during lockdown, where we did online classes,” she adds.
At the same time, she admits it is not easy to get visitors to the physical space. “So, we do periodic community walks where we read aloud from books and start a dialogue. It is a continuous process. Our library spaces are for everybody. We have no late fee rules, no ID card or documentation is required and there is no fine for not returning the book on time,” shares Grover.
There is also a student-leadership programme where members work in leadership roles. “And when new members see how their seniors are doing important jobs, it instils confidence in them,” she concludes.