A small two-storeyed building in a dilapidated condition houses Bargachhia Union Annada Sarat Golui Gramin Pathagar. Cracks are seen in almost every part of the building while chunks of concrete have come off from the structure many years ago. Despite being in ruins, the library continues to run from this building. 

The reading room has been shifted to the first floor from the ground floor. “The room on the ground floor was in a terrible condition. We feared that the ceiling would cave in or chunks would fall from the top and injure someone at any time. We had applied for a grant for building construction that has been sanctioned this year. We have received a grant of Rs 16,96,434 for reconstruction of the building. Work will start soon. The old building will be demolished and a new building will come up in its place,” said Subhas Chakraborty, the librarian. 

The library was languishing in neglect for the past 15 years or so, when there was neither a librarian nor a governing body to run it. After Chakraborty was appointed as the new librarian last year, he has taken initiative. “Earlier, the library assistant was running the library single-handedly. He did not have the knowledge nor the authority to do anything towards repair of the building,” said Chakraborty. 

In 1951, Bargachhia’s library took birth in Manik Chandra Sith’s house. At that time, another local resident, Annada Manna, had donated books from his personal collection to start the library. Later Sarat Golui, a wealthy man in the area, had sponsored the construction of the library building which was built on land donated by the local barowari committee. In 1976, Bargachhia Union Annada Sarat Golui Gramin Pathagar became a government sponsored library. 

At present, there are 6,132 books at this rural library. Some rare copies of Troilakyanath Mukhopadhyay’s works like Fokla Digambar and Muktamala can be found here. “We have tried to preserve these rare editions by binding them afresh,” said Chakraborty. Some copies of the library’s handwritten magazine, Kheya, that was published for some years, are still available. Contributors would either draw or write on the pages. 

The local primary and secondary school students visit the library often. Although there is no formal career guidance section in this library, many guide books for competitive exams are available at the Bargachhia library. “Students visit the library for reference work, so we have to stock up on a good collection of guide books,” said Chakraborty.

Apart from the general section, a dedicated children’s section is available, but lack of space makes it difficult to accommodate too many readers at a time. The room is cramped with shelves all around stacked with books and the small reading table cannot seat more than five to six people at a time. The librarian’s table is also stacked with books on all sides. “A new building is imperative. Apart from the building being dangerous, there is no space,” said Chakraborty. 

The annual grant of Rs 19,500 comes every year, but in recent years, there has been no initiative to apply for a grant from the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF). “Since there was no proper committee to look into these matters, many things have been left undone. We will sort these problems one at a time now,” said Chakraborty.

FACTFILE

• Name: Bargachhia Union Annada Sarat Golui Gramin Pathagar
• Estd: 1951
• Address: Bargachhia, Jagatballavpur
• No. of members: 965 
• Membership fees: Rs 2 for Level I members, Rs 1 for Level II members, free for children