Does your neighborhood or city have a Public Library ?

The Tamil Nadu Government made a major step in December to make the public libraries more accessible. Their ‘Friends of Library’ scheme was launched in 2500 libraries across the state. Under this scheme, 5 volunteers will be selected for each library, and will be given 25 books to circulate in their neighborhood for 15 days. It will provide last-mile connectivity and make books available to all readers.

In the 2011 census, Libraries were notified for the first time and it highlighted that there is a scarcity of libraries in urban areas. India has only 4,580 libraries in urban areas, which roughly translates to one urban library for over 80,000 people. In a policy review of public libraries done in 2018, only 19 states had passed Library Legislation of which only 5 have the provision of a library cess or tax levy. It was also noted that states that do not have Library legislation or have adopted them fairly later, have lower literacy rates.

In absence of significant public resources that could fund libraries, many citizen initiated efforts are being made to fill the gap. For example, a couple in Junagarh took matters into their own hands and started a public library of their own, to help underprivileged students prepare for exams. Similarly, in Nagpur, two IT professionals started an initiative called ‘Library on wheels’ during the onset of covid, which provides free of charge mobile library service.

In the 2023-24 budget announcement, a plan to set up a National digital library was mentioned, and states were encouraged to set up physical libraries at panchayat and ward level and provide infrastructure for accessing the National Digital Library resources. As India rapidly urbanizes, there is a need to invest in urban community assets that enable its residents to live full lives other than the basic needs of housing, jobs and basic infrastructure. Such community infrastructure as public libraries can not only enable people to learn but also provide opportunities for personal growth and provide community spaces for increased social interaction.

Is there a public library in your city? Read more here.