E-libraries aren't unheard-of. Brick-and-mortar ones are getting digitally wired. There are those with exclusive collections and rare archives. Some brand themselves as boutique. So what would the invitation for the tour of the newly-minted American Library offer, I wondered, as I went past the three-step security-check at the American Consulate campus. The answer came in part as I climbed the stairs to the door: on the wall is a set of old photographs of the library's involvement in the city's life and arts. One shows a Tamil film being shot in the library.
Why did it need to be renovated, I asked Ariel Pollock, Public Affairs Officer, who walked me around. Long time no facelift, she said. The library opened in Chennai in the momentous year of 1947 and got shifted to its present address in 1969. The renovation echoes the new energy in the partnership between India and the U.S. after Prime Minister Modi’s visit there and President Obama's visit to India; it's bound to further our people-to-people ties.
The American Library is different, she said, it's housed in the Consulate General where discussions about U.S. higher education, Fulbright scholarships and exchange programmes are held, and questions such as 'how do I do business in the U.S.?' are answered. The library houses the U.S.-India Educational Foundation, which manages EducationUSA – with terminals dedicated for research.
But its “importance” cannot undermine the effect of its cheerful, graphic design by Siddharth Chandrashekar (of Pencil & Monk). The new décor is the library's finest draw. “He said he wanted to create an experience, not just a new library plan,” said Pollock, who saw in his work “this mind-meld between us.” The graphics include the large board near the receptionist's desk, and indicators on the shelves to guide you.
The shelves are designed as S-curves (and placed) to create a feeling of waves flowing around small reading coves. Pockets of Internet spaces are tucked away, unobtrusively. At the fifty-seater auditorium/video-hall one can watch before-after pictures of the library's evolution, do web-chats, connect with people in the U.S. and with audiences across Tamil Nadu. “We're organising a chat with a U.S. diplomat for a small group today,” informs Pollock. There are help desks, three online public-access computers loaded with all the information you'll need, and terminals for online research. The 15,000-book collection leans towards STEM, and soon you'll be able to borrow Tamil ones. The e-library gives access to 30 different databases; just check out the internet kiosks in the library.
Done with reading? Sink into an open couch in a recess to watch movies. Choose from a collection of classics, new releases and documentaries. Or try out one of the funky, colourful chairs near the magazine stands for reading or quiet chats.
And bring in the kids; the now larger children's area has tech games, boardgames, iPad puzzles — 3-D pencils soon — kids are sure to love them all. The pink cow-shelf in the middle is already a favourite.
Here again, the design wins: the smoothly-rounded shelves are at kid-height, the back-lit walls have lovely pictures for optics.
“Once the funds were allotted (in September '14) we set to work,” said Pollock. Some of the stuff got imported from the U.S. Once the colour coding, spaces for furniture, and the arrangements were finalised, the actual renovation work took just two months. From where we sit, through large glass windows, I see that the roof of the building has been covered in grass. A nice touch! All you need is an original photo ID to enter the library. Memberships are on offer at a 50 per cent discount through May 2015. “Once you get past the security, we want you to know the library is a place where you have something to look forward to. The philosophy now is to introduce the American Library to a new generation of south Indians and welcome back our old friends.
The library is a spiffy blend of the old and the new, making the case eloquently that e-books and digital facilities cannot take away the pleasure of holding a paper-book in hand to read. And Pollock, who considers Chennai her second home — she met her future husband here during an earlier stint — invites user involvement beyond reading, researching, watching movies and browsing the net. “It's custom-made, so get involved, and write in your suggestions. Interact with us, give us your feedback, help us plan programmes,” she offers. That may well put the American Library on the list of “places to visit when you are in Chennai.”
Check out chennai.usconsulate.gov for upcoming events.
