Date:29/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/29/stories/2007012904150300.htm

Other States - Puducherry

Government to set up new libraries

Staff Reporter

60 to be digitalised at Rs. 2 crore cost "Plan is to have one for a population of 1,000 people"

PUDUCHERRY: A number of libraries, particularly for children, are slated to come up in the Union Territory during the coming months.

The Government had chalked out a detailed plan to engage legislators and residential associations to construct new libraries.

The MLAs had been asked to locate places in their constituencies to establish them, Education Minister M.O.H F Shahjahan, told The Hindu .

"The plan is to have one library for a population of 1,000 people," he noted.

The Government had also identified land in Ashok Nagar to construct a major library.

All the new libraries would be digitalised, he said.

As far as the digitalisation of the existing libraries was concerned, the Government would finalise a private party for developing the software in a week's time.

In the first stage, 60 libraries across the territory would be digitalised at a cost of Rs.2 crore within six months.

For inculcating reading habit among children, separate sections would be made in the existing libraries.

As a beginning, the children's section at Romain Rolland Library in Boulevard would be developed so as to make it more attractive for the kids, the Minister said.

"The children's sections would not be just like any other regular library. Since we want to attract more children to come to libraries, we would have more interactive things like games and animated books."