The lure of libraries

My tryst with libraries began when I was probably five years old, and my parents weary with two young children wanted to find a way of keeping us occupied while they got some well-earned rest. The Lajpat Bhavan library in South Delhi of the 60s was my treasure trove of delight because we could walk to it. I found a new world and rejoiced in magazines like the Children’s World, Junior Statesman, the fairy tales and my all-time favourite – the children’s version of Little Women.

My younger brother and I were hooked. Soon we had finished most books in our local library and then started our weekly Saturday ritual. In his second hand Vespa scooter, my father would take us to the Children’s library at the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg next to the Doll’s museum. We would rush to devour the amazing collection of books and often had to be dragged out at 5 pm when the library shut and we were still in the middle of an engrossing story.

Then of course were the mobile government libraries in Delhi. Buses with loads of books with a driver and a librarian would come to each area one day of the week and stay there for a few hours till people returned and borrowed books. What a brilliant idea it was. The bureaucrat who thought of this fantastic initiative should be given a medal. For many years, till I was 10 years old, this was my staple source of Enid Blytons, Nancy Drew, William, Biggles, the classics and of course the Austens. All this for a paltry one rupee library card that had to be renewed once a year.

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How can I forget the train libraries? Again what an ingenious idea of a book loving Railway bureaucrat! As soon as we got into the GT express or the Tamil Nadu or KK express (as it was then called), for the long 48 hour journey, the first thing was to check out the tiny library in one of the compartments and borrow four books to be read on the top berth of the train, oblivious to everyone and anything else. Thank you, Indian Railways of the 70s!

Studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya, the school library was full of interesting books by Hindi authors. My love for Hindi literature started because of a gentle librarian with whom we would earnestly discuss the works of Subhadra Kumari Chauhan or Suryakanth Tripathi Nirala or an article from Paraag, a magazine for young people.

From then, looking for quaint libraries in every city has become a passion. I chanced upon Eloor and was delighted to become their member with my five-year-old daughter. Summer holidays in Chennai were spent in the British library, the Connemara public library (the best stocked of them all) or in a fabulous library called Ramonas in Nungambakkam. The institute of World Culture library in Basavangudi has been another haunt and so was the branch of City Central library next door to my office.

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I probably married my husband because his family owned a circulating library called Serene which was much loved by the residents of Jayanagar of the 80s.

On a sabbatical in the UK, I was delighted to live in a flat that was a 10-minute walk from the Manchester City library with its 1850s architecture and a great selection of books on science and art read between cups of hot chocolate from the library café.

I feel there is something reassuring and safe about libraries. The thrill of discovery, looking for that elusive book, climbing the footstool to reach the top shelf to find a hidden gem and the sensory pleasure of the smell and touch of books are all part of the library experience.

Children’s libraries with reading areas, in particular, lead to voyages of adventure to rich imaginary lands for every child, regardless of gender, income, disability, caste or religion. It is hence such a wonderful initiative that in Karnataka, the Government started 5622 new rural children’s libraries this year, some of them with books in Braille. Once again the brilliant brainchild of a book-loving bureaucrat!