Missing canteen & faulty PCs greet visitors at Anna library

CHENNAI: Stinking toilets, dusty premises and a non-operational escalator greet visitors to the Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram. Considered one of Asia’s largest state-of-the art libraries, the facility has been reduced to yet another public library due to step-motherly treatment by authorities.
A visit by TOI on Monday found that toilets in the library were broken and some workstations that can be used by visitors to access e-books and the lone escalator were non-functional. While the escalator was under repair, visitors have to scout for food due to the closed canteen. Such issues inconvenience the visitors.
N Meenakshisundaram, pursuing doctorate in law, said the infrastructure at the Anna Centenary Library has gone for a toss. “From good, it has turned worse. Workstations, where visitors can check out the catalogue, are not functioning in several sections. This library has the best resources in the city having books with updated versions, but the services are on the flip side,” he said. He has been visiting the library since 2011 as a civil services aspirant to refer materials for competitive examinations.
Spread over an area of 3.75 lakh square feet, the nine-storey building at Kotturpuram was inaugurated in 2010.
Currently, the library has a vast collection of 6.10 lakh books stocked in multiple sections, covering a range of subjects. It also has an own books reading section, largely used by those preparing for civil services and other state and national competitive examinations. About 1,250 people visit the library everyday. The numbers rise to 2,000 during weekends.
P Udhayakumar, a native of Tirunelveli and now residing in Chennai to prepare for the railway recruitment and Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission examinations, said that absence of a canteen was a big hitch for visitors. “We have to depend on the canteen on the neighbouring Anna University campus or restaurants in the locality. A canteen offering subsidised food was operating on the library premises till a year ago,” he added.
Moreover, the interiors of the glass façade were dusty and appeared to have not been cleaned for several months. The paint over the roof was peeling and visible on the gigantic structure on Gandhi Mandapam Road. Anna Centenary Library sources, preferring anonymity, said that 10 workstations with internet connection, of the total 24, were not functional.
Official sources at Anna Centenary Library said steps were being taken to repair the toilets. “The workstations are in working condition and the information and technology wing is closely monitoring it. The escalators are under repair and it is incorrect to say that the facility goes into off-mode frequently,” the official added. A new canteen would be established within two months and tenders would be floated for the purpose soon, the official added.