A couple of decades back, coastal Clappana had very little in store for avid readers. They had to cross vast paddy fields and dirt tracks to reach the nearest library, a trip undertaken by bookworms only. Though the situation has changed over the years, that did not stop L.K. Dasan and S.Vinitha from setting up Aksharappura, a library next to their home with thousands of books collected in the past seven years.
A schoolteacher by profession, Mr.Dasan says limited exposure to books as a student prompted him to start a library.
Their mission
“As a school-goer I always wanted more access to reading material and we built Aksharappura brick by brick so that nobody is denied that opportunity. Though many libraries came up in the panchayat after 2016, we mainly cater to the coastal parts of Clappana and bordering Alappad,” he adds.
The couple has been systematically sourcing books since 2014 and the library was started in 2017 with nearly 1,500 books, a handful of dailies and over 15 periodicals at a rented space.
“In 2020, we got the Kerala State Library Council affiliation and it was then we decided to construct a building on three cents beside our house. Mr. Dasan and Ms. Vinitha, who works as clerk at the Service Cooperative Bank, set aside a portion of their salary for the construction, which was completed in July 2021. “ The taluk library council offered us all support and we dedicated our library to the nation this week.”
As a teacher, Mr.Dasan is well aware of the challenges involved in cultivating the love for reading, especially when the habit is not part of the routine.
“School libraries often provide no solution as they hardly stock books from all categories. If students like Basheer, they won’t be able to get all books, or a particular title by the author there. Ours is basically a neighbourhood of fishers, farmers, and daily wage workers and often it is not possible for them to invest extra hours scouting for books,” he says.
PSC coaching
Apart from lending books, the library also offers free PSC coaching along with tabla, vocal, and guitar classes. While COVID-19 kept millions of readers out of libraries, Aksharappura has been home-delivering books without any break. Mr.Dasan says they get regular enquires from over 150 members who keeps on reserving books.
“As part of Penvayana, a programme of Karunagapplly taluk library council, we reach out to homemakers and girls at their houses. During the pandemic, we used to drop books for people in quarantine and home care. Except for the initial lockdown days, we have been busy distributing books,” he adds.