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Unravelling reading pleasure
A wide collection.
IT IS, probably true that television has become an indispensable part of life these days. Truer still in places like Madurai where the outdoor entertainment potential is quite limited.
No doubt. Excessive television watching has created a dent in the reading habit. Librarians should be knowing it better. Oh! They would sigh.
Only to state "it is a pity that the reading habit in the country has taken a nosedive at a time when the people worldwide are near unanimous in their surmise that after all television and reading materials complement each other, both in the intellectual and entertainment spheres''.
Yet, a few libraries in the city are not prepared to take things lightly. The century-old Victoria Edward Hall has already created a niche for itself. It has a `who is who' of Madurai intellectuals in its list of readers. And also the rarest of books in the shelves.
The Karl Marx Public Library near Pethaniapuram in the city has begun to make its presence felt. It toes the same line of reformist thinking - of drawing the people again towards reading habit. M.J. Prabakar, member secretary of P.V.D. Trust, under which the library functions, feels that dangling carrots in the current situation could create a redeeming effect.
The trust, owning libraries at Bodinayakanur and Thevaram in Theni district, besides in Madurai, is pursuing an optimistic agenda of inculcating in people, belonging to all age groups, the reading habit by offering free of cost the vast intellectual treasure in print form.
Right from reading a wide range of newspapers including vernaculars and national dailies to bi-weeklies, weeklies, fortnightlies and monthlies, the visitors stand to gain in that they need not spend a pie from their pocket to delight their minds with the definitely ideal form of a pastime activity which knows no ennui.
Regular visitors to libraries would agree. That the arena of reading is, possibly, the only area where familiarity with anything can never breed contempt. It defies the worldly principles. It is here that one gains more by mental assimilation of concepts, theories, happenings, events etc.
Intellectual immersion.
Any segment of readers would find the utility of the free offer. Regular journals arrive to the delight of disparate reading population like trade unionists, medical professionals, housewives and even job seekers, for whom there are several books for competitive examinations like BSRB, RRB and UPSC.
This library, with as many as 5,000 books in various disciplines, has daily visitors right from seven years to more than seventy years. The kids could virtually delight themselves with literal and pictorial enjoyment by surfing through comics.
Likewise, books worth hundreds of rupees could be taken home free of cost. Only a nominal refundable amount of Rs. 11 is received from the prospective customers.
By R. Krishnamoorthy
Photos: K. Ganesan
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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