Encouraging people to read books is an easy thing to do. Make books available to them, and they will read, says K.R. Prabhakaran, a retired professor of Sanskrit from NSS College, Changanassery.
The conviction has prompted him to create a chain of libraries around his home at Thiruvaniyoor village, near Kolencherry, in Ernakulam district.
He said that he had been trying to create a chain of libraries around Thiruvaniyoor with the help of his friends, who had come forward with both books and money.
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Permanent space
From trying to build a permanent space for the library to getting books, they had been of great help, he said describing the success of the Bodhi Public Library in Thiruvaniyoor.
Over the past three years, friends and well-wishers had contributed about 5,000 books as well as 15 book cases, tables, chairs and about 1,000 sq.ft. of space, making it one of the best libraries in Ernakulam district, he said on Sunday.
The success of the Bodhi Library has prompted him and his friends to create a chain around the Bodhi Public Library, which has around 120 readers now on a regular basis.
The 20-year-old Galaxy Library near Chemmanad and the nearly 50-year-old Chemmanad Public Library are set to get affiliated to the Kerala public library system, which gets support from the government.
Prof. Prabhakaran said that he expected ten libraries to be fully established within the next few years to ensure that people of the area had a lot of good books to read.
He acknowledged the help of noted academic K.G. Paulose and dozens of others, who came forward to support both with money and books.
Contribution
Thousands of books had been contributed by people to different libraries in the area, he said.
The Kodumboor Union Library, Chamgampuzha Memorial Library, Venmani Library,
Friends’ Library in Athani and Anaswara Library in Panikkarupady are part of the chain of libraries, which will will join online programmes now to invite readers and engaged them in activities ranging from reading books to discussing and critically appreciating them.
