Department of Public Libraries to promote community libraries in cities

The Department of Public Libraries has decided to promote community libraries in small residential clusters in urban centres and the first such library was declared open at an apartment complex in Tiruchi last week.

Under the initiative, local communities comprising residents of an apartment or gated communities can approach the District Library Officer for establishing the community libraries. The Department would initially provide 500 books (and more, if required) which can be rotated monthly. However, the applicant would have to make a caution deposit of ₹20,000 besides providing a room with furniture for the library.

The libraries should be run and managed by the local residents. They can fix the library hours depending on their convenience. They can also depute a volunteer such as a retired person to manage a library, though this is not a must.

The city’s first community library was declared open at the Rohini Garden Enclave C-Block on Pattabiraman Street in the city recently by Collector S. Sivarasu. Commending the residents of the apartment complex for establishing the library, Mr. Sivarasu underlined the importance of reading books, especially in the mother tongue. He also offered to provide an assistance of ₹20,000 for development of the library from the Collector’s discretionary fund.

A. P. Sivakumar, District Library Officer, claimed that the city’s first community library was also the first in the State. “The department would seek to promote more such libraries in the city and we have got a few enquiries too,” he said.

The department would also encourage the residents to organise regular programmes such as book reviews and competitions for children at the community libraries, he added.

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