LIBRARIES GET NEW SHELF LIFE

Following A Year Of Social Isolation, Libraries Are Going Mobile And Offering Pop-Up Book Rooms To Cater To Bibliophiles At Their Doorstep

- Priya M Menon & Saranya Chakrapani

You know I’m thriving when I’m flipping through the musky fragrance of an old, dusty book, says Prabhu Viswanathan. Until the pandemic struck, the Chennai businessman would be found at the Madras Literary Society almost every week, or on a hunt for first editions, political biographies, and collectibles.

For steadfast bibliophiles like Prabhu – who “wouldn’t touch a Kindle at 90,” the pandemic has been a period of cruel withdrawal from the romance of that experience. With lockdown restrictions, many libraries have been forced to shut their doors forever. And those that have managed to stay afloat are struggling for subscriptions to survive. However, several initiatives have been launched in the city to take the reading experience to patrons and attract new bookworms, while also creating unique cultural experiences amid excessive digital consumption.

“During the first wave, we associated with a lot of libraries, ensuring that memberships were renewed. We showed our support to the local lending libraries,” says Thirupurasundari Sevvel, founder of Nam Veedu, Nam Oor, Nam Kadhai, a social history group, which has also been creating various maps of Chennai — from tea kadis to old lanes. “We had taken children on a tour of all the libraries in 2015. Since we had all that data, last August we checked they are still functional and created an e-map,” says Thirupurasundari, adding that there are around 300 libraries they have mapped, both established and free smaller ones. “We sent the map to schools and urged them to support these establishments.”