Date:27/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/27/stories/2007112760860600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Thuraiyur library gets land

M. Balaganessin

Photo: R. Ashok

SPACE SHORTAGE: Books are stacked in the lofts. —

TIRUCHI: Book-lovers and members of Government Branch Library in Thuraiyur, who have to struggle for space in utilising the library housed in a small rented building, will shortly be relieved of their agony, thanks to the sanctioning of a piece of land by the district administration for the library.

The library, one of the oldest ones in the district, was started in a private building in 1955 at Alamaram in Thuraiyur from where it was shifted to another private building on Thiyagi Singaravelar Street in Kuttakarai about five years ago.

The library has about 35,300 books and about 10,000 books have been bundled and kept on the loft. It has enrolled 5,406 members and 102 patrons. The Readers’ Circle had donated two computers to the library.

Persistent pleas by several service organisations and book-lovers had resulted in the district administration allotting a piece of land of about 4.5 cents to the Department of Public Libraries for the construction of a building for the branch library.

According to District Library Officer A. P. Sivakumar, the district administration’s ‘timely assistance’ will facilitate the Department of Public Libraries to construct a state-of-the-art building.

He said that a design for the library building would be prepared shortly, providing separate halls for the reference section, children’s and women’s unit, UPSC examinations wing and browsing unit.