Free books boost reading among women, children

New Delhi: A community library project in Delhi’s Sheikh Sarai and Sikanderpur in Gurgaon is encouraging children and adults alike to access and read more and more books for free.

Stocked with children’s books and novels for adults, The Community Library Project (TCLP) was started with an aim to promote reading for those who have limited access to it and for all those who wish to read.

Built for more than 2,000 children and adults, the initiative is filling in a void in reading resources by providing citizens with a space for knowledge building and intellectual engagement.

Attempting to empower women through autonomous learning activities, TCLP also hosts interactive sessions, dubbed adda sessions, for the ladies of the community.

“Women either read themselves or someone else reads them a — in case they need it — a book and then discuss its story, often connecting themes with their own lives,” Purnima Rao, the library activist of TCLP, said.

Fun activities, workshops, and theatrical storytelling sessions keep the children engrossed and they are encouraged to explore themes and ask questions, which are answered by enthusiastic volunteers.

Several children have been given a safe space and support system here to learn at their own pace.

“The public library system, as it stands now, is inadequate. There is simply not enough square footage to accommodate even a small percentage of the public’s need for access to books and information,” Mridula Koshy, the project leader and trustee of TCLP, said.

Suggesting the possibility of utilising the existing infrastructure, she said that libraries of government schools should be made accessible to the people of the locality.

“The role of community libraries as educational and cultural centres is now more important than ever. The magnitude of information available online is only guaranteed to those with routine access to the internet and a relative degree of tech-savviness,” Tanya, a frequent visitor, said.

“Regardless of widespread online penetration, there are still many that are left without the adequate resources to explore their potential,”  she added.

This apart, the TCLP also trains community members to become library employees and organising programmes that deepen text comprehension and engage members in various activities such as read-aloud sessions, reading courses among others.