District Central Library
The demolition of District Central Library building to construct new premises brought much joy to the Tiruchiites.
However, the delay in the implementation of this project is a matter of concern to one and all, as the present location of the library near TVS Tollgate is away from the heart of the city.
A cross section of book-lovers is of the view that a serious initiative should be taken with an immediate effect to rebuild the library at the site near Singarathope where it was housed earlier.
There should not be any further delay in execution of the project, they feel.
The Anna Platinum Jubilee building, which housed the library earlier, was demolished after it was declared weak by the Public Works Department, which certified that the building was unsafe .
Oldest and biggest
One of the oldest and biggest in the State with a collection of nearly 1.5 lakh titles, it has suffered a substantial drop in the number of visitors ever since it was shifted.
It attracted about 800 to 900 visitors daily when it was located near Singarathope but does not draw even half the number now.
At present, about 400 people visit the library daily and about 200 books are borrowed.
The steep drop in the strength of visitors is mainly attributed to the poor accessibility to the library as its present location is poorly connected by public transport system.
Another major drawback is the non-availability of parking facility on the premises.
Different sections function on the present premises too, but they are not as spacious as they should be, feels a regular visitor.
The functioning of a vital facility like district library from rented premises for years together does not augur well for a well developed city like Tiruchi, says I. Shahid Ahamed, a businessman of Beemanagar.
Help needed
The other government departments, particularly the Tiruchi Corporation, should come forward to lend a helping hand for bringing up a state-of-the-art library, Mr. Ahamed adds.
A cross section of the citizens is of the view that the entire space available should be utilised for the library purpose and should not be allotted for commercial purposes.
The new library should be all in one with various facilities, including provision for recreation for children accompanying their parents, says S. Santhosh Kumar, a college student.
However, there is good news for the book buffs. The construction of a new spacious library building at the Singarathope is to commence shortly.
“The process is at the tender stage and the construction work will begin within three months,”says T. Soundiah, Collector.
Once the work commences, there won’t be any letup and all efforts will be taken to complete the work in a year’s time, he adds.
The new premises has been so planned that it will have various sections for dailies and magazines; book lending; reference; civil services and competitive examinations; women and children; new books processing; binding, etc.
Every department library has a Readers Circle attached to it, which carries out various activities to promote reading habit. A spacious conference hall mainly for the activities of the circle, browsing centre, a safe room for rare and old books, and parking lot will be an added advantage of the new premises.
The Office of the District Library Officer and a guest house have also been planned on the same campus.
However, the delay in the implementation of this project is a matter of concern to one and all, as the present location of the library near TVS Tollgate is away from the heart of the city.
A cross section of book-lovers is of the view that a serious initiative should be taken with an immediate effect to rebuild the library at the site near Singarathope where it was housed earlier.
There should not be any further delay in execution of the project, they feel.
The Anna Platinum Jubilee building, which housed the library earlier, was demolished after it was declared weak by the Public Works Department, which certified that the building was unsafe .
Oldest and biggest
One of the oldest and biggest in the State with a collection of nearly 1.5 lakh titles, it has suffered a substantial drop in the number of visitors ever since it was shifted.
It attracted about 800 to 900 visitors daily when it was located near Singarathope but does not draw even half the number now.
At present, about 400 people visit the library daily and about 200 books are borrowed.
The steep drop in the strength of visitors is mainly attributed to the poor accessibility to the library as its present location is poorly connected by public transport system.
Another major drawback is the non-availability of parking facility on the premises.
Different sections function on the present premises too, but they are not as spacious as they should be, feels a regular visitor.
The functioning of a vital facility like district library from rented premises for years together does not augur well for a well developed city like Tiruchi, says I. Shahid Ahamed, a businessman of Beemanagar.
Help needed
The other government departments, particularly the Tiruchi Corporation, should come forward to lend a helping hand for bringing up a state-of-the-art library, Mr. Ahamed adds.
A cross section of the citizens is of the view that the entire space available should be utilised for the library purpose and should not be allotted for commercial purposes.
The new library should be all in one with various facilities, including provision for recreation for children accompanying their parents, says S. Santhosh Kumar, a college student.
However, there is good news for the book buffs. The construction of a new spacious library building at the Singarathope is to commence shortly.
“The process is at the tender stage and the construction work will begin within three months,”says T. Soundiah, Collector.
Once the work commences, there won’t be any letup and all efforts will be taken to complete the work in a year’s time, he adds.
The new premises has been so planned that it will have various sections for dailies and magazines; book lending; reference; civil services and competitive examinations; women and children; new books processing; binding, etc.
Every department library has a Readers Circle attached to it, which carries out various activities to promote reading habit. A spacious conference hall mainly for the activities of the circle, browsing centre, a safe room for rare and old books, and parking lot will be an added advantage of the new premises.
The Office of the District Library Officer and a guest house have also been planned on the same campus.
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