Dist Central Library in Tirupur district lacks space, amenities

Tirupur: Even a decade after the formation of Tirupur district, the condition of the District Central Library is much to be desired.
When the district was formed in 2009, the district administration converted the then Tirupur Taluk I Library on Park Road into the central library. With 1.29 lakh books, the library has more than 23,000 registered members. But it does not even have toilets for the readers.
As many as 2,500 readers visit the library a day for reading or lending books. The two-storey building does not have sufficient seating facility. When events like classes for competitive examination aspirants are conducted, the readers are forced to share space in the first floor or leave the building.
“Despite having inadequate reading space, we were disappointed to see book bundles stacked around the only reading table and also all along the staircases. Sometimes, the place resembles a godown. With no toilet facility, we have to walk for about 200 meters to use a pay-and-use toilet in the nearby corporation park,” said M Balakrishnan, a regular visitor.
The library authorities said the book bundles were meant to be distributed to 56 branch libraries in the district and were stored due to lack of a suitable space. “Whatever efforts to bring basic amenities or facilities are taken, lack of space would be the main hindrance here. The 60-year-old library is functioning in a place gifted by a private person. Its ownership is yet to be transferred to the library department. Moreover, as some space of the library is used as access road to the district judge quarters, it would be difficult to utilise the space if the department constructs a new building” said a revenue official.
The library authorities had earlier sent proposals to swap the District Central Library with the Tirupur III Library, which was functioning next to the Old Bus Stand vegetable market. They even approached private parties for land, with no results.
“As the ‘market’ library has 16 cents, almost double of the central library, it would be appropriate to swap the central library and the Tirupur III Library. We will send a new proposal soon to demolish the old library, and construct a five-storey building,” district library officer Manikandan said.