Library doesn’t go by the book, draws young readers

PANAJI: At first glance, it doesn’t look like part of a library, let alone a public one. An impressive collection of soft toys adorns the shelves, and within its thoughtfully-designed interiors are a wide variety of books for children and internet facilities. Three feet-tall teddy bears watch you as you enter this

space, which has crayon paintings on the walls and children doodling on magnetic boards.

Housed on the second floor of the Goa state central library, the children’s section offers a unique experience to bibliophile kids rather than being just another book browsing unit. Need a book? Look through the colourful, four feet-high shelves. Want to sit? There’s the kidsized furniture with animal motifs.

Hardly surprising, then, that this space is so popular among children. Rohini Vaze, 12, is a student of Our Lady of Lourdes high school in Valpoi.

Not just books, kids’ library also has an array of short films

She wouldn’t set down the white soft toy she picked up from a shelf. “I love how there are innumerable fairy tales and fantasy fiction books that I can read while cuddling with soft toys,” she said.

In another corner, 13-year-old Yash Desai was busy reading a general knowledge book on plant and animal facts. “It’s nice to come to a place that has books, games and PCs with free internet all in one space. Compared to my village library, this one has more children’s literature and gives me a lot of options to pick from,” he said.

While for most children, this colourful space, watched over by librarians and monitored with CCTV cameras, is the highlight of the library, Aditi Rodrigues, 14, of St Mary’s high school, Ponda, says each part of the building is a knowledge resource.

“Life-size sculptures in the library are reflective of Goa’s history, while the contemporary ones show the artistic talent in the state,” she said. “The children’s section adds to this fascinating atmosphere with its arrangement of books and a spacious area to read and study.”

Besides the books on fiction and non-fiction, the library also hosts children’s groups interested in watching short films and documentaries in their audio-visual room. In the collection are several cartoon films, the Malgudi Days series, and documentary films highlighting social evils.

As part of its mission to inculcate the reading habit among citizens, especially children, a mobile library van service was launched in December 2017. The van stations itself at a central location at schools and has novels, biographies, encyclopedia and magazines in Konkani, Marathi, English and Hindi, which students can avail of on showing their school ID cards.

“The library, as an instrument of social change, should provide maximum facilities to children in terms of books and gadgets,” said the library’s curator Carlos Fernandes. “With the help of the mobile library, we provide them with reading material at their school and residential areas. By holding frequent storytelling programmes and bringing out their hidden creativity, we can change their outlook towards the library for the better.”

The colourful space has books, games, PCs with free internet and is watched over by librarians and monitored with CCTV cameras