Bundles of books, delivered last year, yet to see daylight in Thanjai library

THANJAVUR: Owing to space constraints and a shortage of staff, bundles of books, which were delivered to the District Central Library (DCL) in Thanjavur almost a year ago, are yet to reach the library shelves and the readers. At the moment, they are kept unopened in a passageway, sources said, adding that around 5,000 books, in total, are yet to be shelved. Books for government-administered libraries across the State are ordered from the Directorate of Public Libraries in Chennai.

According to sources, books published in Tamil in 2018-2019 were ordered by the Directorate in the month of February, 2021, and were supplied by the publishers to the central libraries in each districts in the same year. The books for Thanjavur DCL and branch libraries were received in around 150 bundles in 2021. However, sources said the bundles are yet to be even opened.

It is said that space constraints and insufficient staff to open and arrange the books led to the bundles being kept unopened in a passageway. As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, the central library campus falls under the Prohibited Area (for new construction), since Thanjavur Peruvudayar Temple (UNESCO monument) is situated nearby. As a result, new buildings cannot be built within the campus, sources said.

"A second-grade librarian post is vacant in the library. Moreover, as many as 10 daily wage labourers, who were working for ten to fifteen years, were also terminated recently. Therefore, there is no one to even open the bundles and sort out the books," an official said. According to sources, around 2 lakh books are available in the library.

The library has a membership of around 38,000 and daily footfall falls in the range of 500-650. Prabakar, who frequents the library often, said the books should be arranged in the library as soon as they are received. M Kannan, another member of the library, suggested that a new building complex for the library could be constructed at a vacant spot near the Thanjavur Old Bus Stand. Meanwhile, officials said they conveyed requests for additional staff to higher authorities.