First hand

Turning over a new leaf

C. Ramaswami, convener of Dinshaw Memorial Municipal Library, says: “It is the same library which cultivated a reading habit in many denizens. People from across the city gathered here every evening and read with zeal. Now, however, times have changed. Upgrade and modernisation were ignored due to lack of finance and many members left for other libraries.” The library’s stock of nearly 25,000 books has been reduced to 10,000 as the old and outdated ones had to be discarded. Drive to restore the library and a spacious hall was added, but still a lot needs to be done. Ramaswami also said there are plans to convert the library into a full-fledged Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) learning centre.

The steel city can boast of being the birthplace of the industrial revolution. The place has one of the highest literacy rates in the country, but when it comes to libraries, the condition is dismal. A city with glorious history and over a million population lacks a good public library. and though there are various libraries situated in nooks and corners of the city, only a handful caters to a reader and can be termed as a public library.

Book lovers of the steel city have to rely on institutional libraries. There are only some ?reader friendly? libraries in the city.

Dinshaw Memorial Municipal Library: The oldest and the in the city was founded in 1941. the library used to be an ?adda? for the intellectuals. Unfortunately, it is now reeling under a financial crunch. The timing of the library is from 8am to 11 am and 3 pm to 7 pm. For membership, one has to submit an application addressed to the librarian and after inquiries about the address and other personal details of the candidate, he is taken as the member. The fee for membership is Rs 10, while monthly charges are Rs 5.

Youth Unity for Voluntary Action (Yuva) Library: For the younger generation, this library in Makdampur is the ideal one. It is touted as the only 24-hour public library in the city. Set up in 1996, the library has over 5,000 books on various subjects. To become a registered member, one has to spend Rs 25 . The forms are available at Yuva?s office in Makdampur. There are no monthly charges. The library has a wide range of books in English and Hindi.The library has a sprawling reading hall, which ample space to readers.

Jagat Bandhu Seva Sadan Pustakalya: Situated in Jugsalai, the library was founded in 1944. It has over 12,000 books and is popular with housewives and the elderly. The library, with 3,000 members, is open for readers from 5.30 to 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday, and from 3 pm to 6 pm on Saturdays. Membership fee is Rs 101, which includes the cost of form, caution money and services and maintenance charges. The forms are available from the library?s office in Jugsalai.

Muslim Library: Famous for its books on Islam and Urdu literature, the library is situated in Bistupur and has over 10,000 books. Membership forms are available at the library?s office in Bistupur and members have to pay a monthly fee of Rs 5. The timings of the library is 9 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 8 pm. Though the library caters to a limited segment, the J.R.D. Tata Reading Corner is its unique feature with a wide variety of books on competitive examinations.

Shavak Nanavati Technical Institute Library of Tata Steel: Credited to be the most advanced in the city, the library is basically an institutional one catering to Tata Steel employees and only recently opened its doors for public. The library has over 13,000 members and membership rules are stringent. To become a member, one has to be introduced by an employee of Tata Steel. Membership fee has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000.

Parvinder Bhatia