The premises of Sarvottama Grandhalayam run by the Andhra Pradesh Library Association (APLA) near Benz Circle in the city has turned into a book-lovers’ paradise.
Throngs of bibliophiles, a majority of them youngsters, swarmed the place where a ‘Book Mela’ is being hosted by the association members. The three-day free distribution of books, starting from Saturday, evoked an overwhelming response with people of all age groups and sections visiting the place to pick two books of their choice from the ‘depository of knowledge’. The event was inaugurated by former national president of Indian Medical Association G. Samaram.
Different genres of books on social issues, philosophy, spiritualism, art and architecture, comic books, poetry, classics, biographies and autobiographies, history, fairy tales, self-help, memoirs and science fiction are stacked neatly in rows of tables to be given to the visitors.
Each visitor can pick any two books and books related to engineering, pharmacy and medicine courses are being given only to students who produce their identity cards.
On Sunday, the place was chock-a-block. The organisers repeated their requests to people who had already made their selection of books, to leave the place and make way for those waiting for their turn to enter the room.
Informing that more than 60,000 books were being distributed this year, Raavi Sarada, general secretary of the association, said on Sunday alone, nearly 3,800 people carried home some 8,400 books.
This is the sixth year in a row that the association is organising the event. “Commemorating the World Book Day on April 23, we started free distribution of books in 2015 to promote book-reading, especially among the younger generation. The size of the crowds at the venue took me by surprise and I was convinced that all hope is not lost, even in this digital era as a good number of people still prefer the old-fashioned print,” said Ms. Sarada.
Encouraged by the response, Ms. Sarada made it an annual event and scaled up the size of the collection of books distributed during the ‘mela’ days in the consecutive years.
But the organisers realised that many book aficionados gave the event a miss to avoid the extreme summer heat of April. “To make it convenient for people to visit, we shifted the ‘book mela’ to December,” she explained.
The Library Association also sends piles of books to its branches in all the 13 districts of the State to pave the way for quick spread of knowledge in all directions. It also introduced the concept of ‘Book Hundis’ to collect books from donors at different points. “Like temples have hundis where devotees offer money, our hundis propel spread of knowledge,” she said.