The Library

My first introduction to this treasure house of books was in my high school, Wesley Mission, in Chennai (then Madras). New arrivals at the library were announced on the notice board and I would rush to borrow them during the half hour after regular classes when the librarian would be in attendance. I liked to be the first borrower of a book before it became dog eared and spoiled by thoughtless scribbling.

My reading consisted mostly of fiction -- Tom Brown’s School Days, Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Count of Montecristo, etc. I was not yet ready for the literary heavy weights like Shakespeare, Milton and others. (Perhaps, I am not, even now). There was no catalogue of books available; one had to gaze through glass panels of the almirahs in which the books were kept and ask the librarian to take them out. Generally, two weeks were allowed, to read and return the books.

A period of enforced idleness before I could become eligible for a job in a government establishment saw me making my way to the Public Library at Cubbon Park in Bangalore. Here I was not allowed to borrow books. The Chief Librarian was grim and forbidding; perhaps he needed to be so since the visitors were often chatty and noisy. (Contrast this with the friendliness and “May I help you” attitude that you meet with here in American Libraries) The periodicals section saw the magazines and dailies strewn carelessly across some tables and the chairs had bugs. However, one could get to read some foreign magazines like Punch, London Times, Life etc. though they were several weeks or months old.

Libraries became sanctuaries for me after I began visiting America. Most of them have been at a walking distance from where I stayed or at best by a short ride in a public transport bus. The classification, the orderliness, the accessibility, and atmosphere of quietness and non-intrusion are hall marks of libraries here. Possession of a library card is a valuable asset for the otherwise socially isolated visitor.

The addition of audio-visual material like CDs and Videos, internet access, and availability of scanners and printers at little or no cost, the volunteer system of “Friends of the Library” make a visit to the local library, which often has branches at nearer locations, a pleasant and relaxing experience for the elderly here. To the student, the library provides access to costly reference material and a quite nook to study and browse.

The libraries in USA are invaluable aids to promote the habit of reading and research. In such huge edifices like university libraries one can not only get lost in the labyrinthine aisles, but also in the passage of time as the clock ticks by, as thirst and hunger get benumbed.