New knowledge and study centre in Selaiyur packs a punch in terms of aesthetics and facilities, not as much in its collection of books

In Selaiyur, the library that doubles as a knowledge and study centre carries swank. It has a plethora of features. Despite that, it also carries a void. And the void has to do with two critical areas: books and manpower.

There is well-appointed infrastructure. Here is a quick count of them. A raft of Internet browsing and reading nooks. Two smart classrooms with giant screens. Free access to Internet and 14 computers neatly kept on tap for visitors. Elegant washrooms. Two lively garden areas, each flanking one side of the building. Two separate parking zones, one for two-wheelers and the other for four-wheelers. Solar lighting to supplement regular power supply. Intelligent sensor-driven lighting in the gardens.

The aesthetics of the facility can be distracting, but not for long. The sparsely populated book shelves catch one’s eye sooner than later, as also the fact that the facility is running on empty in terms of manpower.

As a knowledge and study centre (opened by Tambaram Municipal Corporation in the first week of January, 2024), it comes with a mandate to help students prepare for competitive exams. It had to be stocked up on such books, besides those of other stripes that would appeal to the general reader.

B. Mahalakshmi, a chartered-accountancy student, is at the centre with her father Balasubramanian and she has found her books, the ones packed with information meant for competitive exams. For one Mahalakshmi who manages to get the books she has been looking for, there are nine others who don’t. They scour the book shelves in vain.

A Tambaram Municipal Corporation official admits it. “Based on feedback from the students, we know we need more books of this kind.”

Besides the books the centre had received and purchased through the government machinery, books donated by the general public adorn the shelves.

“Students have given their books as hand-me-downs. We are in the process of buying and sourcing more books, but we would accept books that anyone would want to donate to the library,” the official notes.

In recent days, reportedly, the centre has witnessed visits by the Chengalpattu collector and the Tambaram corporation commissioner.

Efforts to get the shelves filled up are being taken, the Corporation official notes. On the manpower front, he reveals that someone with training in library science has been hired and would assume charge soon. At present, a lone Corporation staff is managing the centre. The new hire would take the number to two, and would that be sufficient? The official responds: “Whenever necessary, we will send a Corporation staff or two to assist them in their work.”

The centre is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all days of the week except Friday.