Date:16/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/16/stories/2007111658340100.htm

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Programme to inculcate reading habit

Staff Reporter

KARUR: In a bid to re-infuse reading habit among people and attract rural people to libraries, Department of Public Libraries is launching a novel programme in Karur district.

Called “Noolagam selvom naam” (Let’s go to library), the launch of the programme coincides with the 40th National Library Week celebrations that commence on Wednesday. The programme aims at creating awareness on the efficacy of books and libraries, inculcating reading habit among school students, encouraging students to think independently and laterally by accessing books in the library, and providing an opportunity to rural populace to handle library books, take notes from and conjure up essays on public issues from what they had read.

The programme would include educating students, parents, teachers and librarians on maximising the use of libraries and be of mutual help. Special efforts would be taken to enrol maximum members.

The implementation includes showing audiovisual documentaries on the use of books and libraries in places where people gather such as markets, schools and libraries in every village of the district, regular film shows at 7 p.m. on the importance of libraries, presenting video documentaries on effectively making use of the libraries and books, arranging interactive discussions and talks between public and achievers who used knowledge to scale great heights, distribution of pamphlets to students and public on the need to use public libraries and popularising reading habit that has been lost in the ``crushing march of television”. What was once described as a treasure house of knowledge, libraries have been of late attracting fewer and fewer people for a slew of reasons. On the one hand, there is a steady decline in interest shown by urban people and students in reading books of general interest while on the other hand people in rural areas do not have enough access to quality books and libraries. The new programme in Karur district seeks to redress both the anomalies in one go.