Public Libraries: A slow death of fathomable romantics

It is eight in the morning. As far as one’s vision can travel, an older man lingered around the sight where he left behind his newspaper on the park’s bench like a tedious habit and has moved forward with his daily life. Life is like that only. It starts at a precedent hour of the day and simmers like a burning candle at night. It straddles back and forth like a porch swing, which apparently looks like a usual swing. Nobody cares to ride it. One is relieved enough to sit on them and stay quiet for some time. They look around and watch the twilight blink on the empty roads. Some days are sweeter than mangoes, whereas other days are like stale chapattis. The days are scorching now. Summer breezes are rare and reading has been my only escape these days. Getting the bug of reading from my maternal grandma and elder sister, I have been reading for some years now. As a reference to that a few days back, I came across a concerning tweet that said books are expensive and public libraries are extinct. Well, factually, it is true. According to the Census 2011 India, it is proved that the literacy development of a country is based on investing in the betterment of the culture, arts, and libraries of those countries. In India, literacy development has been on a constant rise since 1951, but public libraries have always been a matter of neglect. The primary reason is plenty of unwillingness from the government, both central and state. Those states which are actively involved in the overall upgradation of their literacy rate pay more attention to spending for public libraries. According to the statistical data of IndiaStat, 2012, states including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have more libraries than states like Bihar. According to an article in IndiaSpend, "In today’s information age, libraries in many countries are exploring, along with traditional library services, a range of activities such as hosting of events, digital services, engagement with the public especially with neglected communities that need support, and creating a knowledge economy that can give access to education.

For libraries in India to serve broader functions, investments in public libraries should be increased, while also making concerted efforts to systematically improve the functioning and services provided by  libraries."

It is a different argument that which state shows more enthusiasm in seeking central funds, but the main question that arises here is, what causes this unmatched situation. In the 21st century, it is too obvious to agree that literacy has increased a decent amount at least in the last 20 to 30 years. Then why do public libraries are facing this continuous threat of extinction? Recently, I finished my internship as a journalist at The Statesman newspaper. During one of those days, I wrote a story on the depleting condition of Kolkata’s one of the earliest public libraries, Chaitanya Public Library. After talking with the core committee members of the library and seeing the dire situation of the books stacked up there, I was shocked. The present hazardous sight of books has reflected the contemporary mindset of people and their less involvement with books. That library was a forsaken source of gems from all over the world. Quoting from my article, “At present, the library has nearly more than a lakh of books including the earliest copies of Neel Darpan by Dinobondhu Mitra, Padmavati by Michael Madhusudan Dutta and the third edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It also has around 27,000 periodicals.” Then after all these, what leads to this downfall? Blaming social media is one of the key excuses people usually come up with as a defense these days where they lodge it as the root cause of every problem occurring in society. Partially it does have amplified the problem of downfall, but it is not the sole reason. From my perspective, the lack of motivation is the root cause of the gradual decline in the reading habit of the masses and the slow death of public libraries in this millennial era. I believe motivation comes from our families and educational institutions, which aren’t being gentle to everybody now. Reading should not be a rigorous and competitive process, but it should also come out as a space of relief. Books should not be a weapon to combat but should be a hand in need. Reading is gentle; libraries should be a space of ecstasy.

Public libraries used to be a portrayal canvas in the earlier days, which people used to take as a go-to place. Like schools, offices, public discussions, and doctor check-ups, visiting the library was a compulsion or a habit. From Indian cinemas to literature, the library plays an important role. Whether a secret meeting spot, a hiding place from the world, building up a world of their solace, or stealing glances from behind the books, libraries had an impactful importance. Time has passed and priorities have changed. Modernism does have given us plenty to select from, but somehow amid everything, we have lost our zeal to chew everything at once. Less is always more. Now the question is where will our libraries go? Will they accept this untimely demise out of the blue? Sadly, someday it will be, if not immediately. 

I have started to write down this with a scenario that consists of an older man forgetting his newspaper on the park bench. I have seen plenty of lonely people straddling around like that man. But some people like him have comforted themselves by visiting libraries to deal with their pain and those library visitors have passed on their habit to the next generation. What I am trying to say is, libraries are not just a place to read, but it is a place solely attached somewhere as a part of our lives we are ignorant about. It is a place where people learn self-discovery by themselves through reading and acknowledge the aftermath of silence. Reading needs to be encouraged whether libraries survive or not in the future.

Unfortunately, the present generation isn't accustomed to the impactfulness of libraries and they are not receiving it either from their seniors anyway. Many of us who are admirers of books aren’t privileged with these local libraries. And now it is too late to have one. The tattered condition of libraries is too fragile to bring them back to life. Libraries are dying and so is its mere surviving fathomable romanticism.  Yet some public libraries are trying to stay despite their slow death. May they live a bit longer. Reading can not be compromised. You may find your essence of life whether from  Natyashastra or Mills and Boons or Communist Manifesto to Holy scriptures, and life will come around and sit beside you at least for once. Visit a library if you ever get a chance. It won't survive much longer now, so it should at least deserve a chance to keep up with its final days with some pride and happiness. May they live a few days more.

Pictures courtesy: Whisper of the Heart, Tamasha (Pinterest)