Among the private libraries that still run in Howrah town, Jatiya Sangha in Shibpur is one. While most of them have had to close for lack of funds or members, this library, attached to the club of the same name, has managed to survive. Although its tough, but the members of this library have been trying hard to keep this institution going. Jatiya Sangha was formed when two other clubs of Shibpur, Sunday Assembly and Shakti Sangha merged in 1945. Both the clubs had libraries whose books became the property of Jatiya Sangha library. Since then, the members of the club have taken initiative to run the library as well. 

At present, there are 6,500 books at this private library. There is a children’s section at this library for the little ones, but few children turn up here. “There are very few members who come to the library these days. I am often amazed at how they spend their evenings watching TV serials. Some women of the neighbourhood do come to the library to read or to borrow books. Most of them like to read in the afternoon. The youth have too many distractions these days and do not like to come to a library to read. Besides, education these days is career-oriented. Students only come to look for books that they need, not for any extra reading,” said Saibal Basu, the librarian. 

The library is open three days in the week from 6.30 pm in the evening and for some time on Sunday morning. This library does not have a career guidance section. “It is a good idea to have a career guidance section and we could consider starting something like this to attract young people to the library,” said Ashish Ghosh, the cashier. The thought of turning this library into a government-sponsored library has never occurred to the authorities at Jatiya Sangha. “Most of us, who have grown up reading books from this library, are sentimental about the place. The library, physical education and cultural sections are all an integrated part of Jatiya Sangha. We would never want to give it to the government,” said Kalyan Ghosh, the general secretary of Jatiya Sangha club. 

An annual grant of Rs 12,000 comes every year from the state government’s library services department. This grant is given to selected private libraries in Howrah town through the Howrah District Library. “The grant money is spent primarily to buy books and allied furniture,” said Ashish. However, other grants that they have applied for have never come through. “We had applied for a building maintenance grant to the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) in 2013, but till date there has been no news of the grant. We need the fund to repair the roof of the library room. Apart from that we also need to extend the library building with another floor,” he added. The library is housed in a single room with an asbestos cover. During monsoon the roof leaks, causing damage to books and furniture. A similar application was made to the Local Library Authority in Howrah, however that, too, has not received any response.

 FACTFILE

• Name: Jatiya Sangha Library
• Estd: 1943
• Address: 18, Hem Banerjee Lane, Shibpur
• Membership fees: Rs 10 per month for all members
• Rare books: Jaladhar Sen’s Himalaya, Ghulam Kudrus’s Bandi, Debi Prasad Roychowdhury’s Bahukku Manush